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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN E. STEPHENS 

Who was Commanding General of the 61st F. A. BrigaKie from July 20, 1918 
until his ideath, at Coetquidan, France, Januaxy 4th, 1919. 

(S:e Appendix.) 



TRAIL OF THE 61Sl 



A History of the 61st Field Artillery Brigade 
During the World War 

1917-1919. 



By 
PVT. REX F. HARLOW 

Brigade Headquarters 
Detachment. 



191'J 

Harlow Publishing Company, 

Oklahoma, City. 



H 510 
.32) 



Copyright 1920 
Haklow Publishing Co. 



MAR 27 i820 
©CU566465 



Foreword 

I was one of the men in the 61st F. A. Brigade 
who belonged to that disappointed class, known in 
the A. E. F. as *'Dove Tails" or Third Lieutenants." 
We graduated from the Saumur Artillery School, at 
Saumur, France, where we received diplomas which, 
before the signing of the Armistice, would have . given 
us commissions, but the closing of the war relieved the nec- 
essity for more officers and we were returned to our 
organizations with the same rank that we held when we 
left for school. We were given great freedom, with prac- 
tically no duties, and had so little to occupy our time 
that life hung heavily upon our hands and we earnestly 
wished for something worth while to do. 

The Brigade Adjutant assigned me to duty in his 
office, to do some special work for him, but this work 
did not occupy much of my time and I conceived the idea 
of writing a history of the experiences and activities of 
the brigade during the Great War. I presented the idea 
to Lieut. Col. Simpson and he endorsed it, with the re- 
sult that a Brigade Memorandum was immediately issued, 
stating that I had been given the authority to assemble 
information and material for a history of the 61st Bri- 
gade and instructing the Commanding Officers of all 
units of the brigade to co-operate in the work. 

A few days after the memorandum was issued I was 
sent to the Camp Hospital where I was held for 28 days, 
but the brigade did not leave for home, as I had feared 
it would, for about two weeks after I had been released 
from the hospital, and I therefore had the opportunity of 
doing some effective work after my illness, though not 
enough to gather all of the information I desired. Had 
I not been held in the hospital so long I would have been 
able, I believe, to have secured all of the material desired. 

It was my original plan to publish in this history a 
complete roster of the brigade, and to that end I re- 



quested each organization to select a correspondent who 
would be permitted to devote the major portion of his 
time to the work of gathering information for the his- 
tory, so that I could be sure that the desired data and 
names would be furnished to me, 

But my plans for securing the roster miscarried, 
as only two regiments furnished the names of their 
men, and since I have been mustered out of service I 
have found it impossible to secure rosters of the other 
units of the brigade. In my efforts to get these names 
I have used every available means, even to enlisting the 
aid of numerous Congressmen and U. S. Senators, who 
have personally visited War Department Officials to ask 
that the rosters be sent to me, but all to no avail. 

I sincerely regret that the history does not contain 
a roster of the brigade, but since I could not procure a 
complete roster, I deem it inadvisable to use the lists I 
possess, and have decided that the present book, though 
incomplete, should be published and distributed to the 
members of the brigade without further delay. 

I wish to express my appreciation for the assist- 
ance of Sgt. Kent Watson, of the 133d F. A., Sgt. H. L. 
Woodyard, of the 131st F. A. and Sgt. A. H. Van Winkle, 
of the 111th Trench Mortar Battery, who furnished com- 
plete reports and rosters of their organizations, and to 
many other friends, including Sgt. Victor Combs, of the 
111th Ammunition Train and Pvt. Joe C. Bettencourt, of 
the 131st F. A., who supplied me with many of the ko- 
dak pictures that appear in this volume. Moreover, I 
want to express thanks to Lt.-Col. Sloan Simpson for 
supplying me with a photograph of the late General 
Stephens for it would have been impossible for me to have 
secured it otherwise. , 

REX F. HARLOW. 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 
December 22, 1919. 



VI 



CONTENTS 

Camp Bowie . _. ;_ 9 

Bowie to Mills 36 

Camp Mills 51 

Voyage to Feance 67 

Brest 88 

Redox 106 

Camp De Coetquidax 131 

Leave Areas 164 

St. Nazaire 178 

Voyage Home _190 

Demobilization 207 

Appendix 222 




Brigadier General George Blakeley, the first Commanding General of the 61st F. 
A. Brigade, who after leaving the brigade, was promoted to the rank of Major 
General and was sent to- France in command of a Division of Coast Artillery. 

(See Appendix.) 



Trail of the 61st 



I. 

CAMP BOWIE 

On June 1, 1916, a newly organized battery of 
Field Artillery, designated as battery "B," 1st Texas 
Field Artillery, was placed under the command of 
Claude V. Birkhead, who was commissioned captain 
in the Texas National Guard. Douglas McKenzie and 
Raymond Phelps of San Antonio held first lieuten- 
ancies in the new organization. 

In June, 1917, Captain Birkhead was ordered to 
Houston to aid in the organization of a division of 
Texas troops, as Battery "B" was to be made the 
nucleus of a regiment of field artillery, to be called 
the 2d Texas Field Artillery. Birkhead was granted 
the authority of recruiting the following batteries of 
the regiment: Headquarters Co., "A," ^^B" and "C" 
Batteries at San Antonio ; '*D" Battery at Floresville ; 
"E" Battery and supply Co. at Waco; and "F" Bat- 
tery at Houston. 

By August 4, the Regiment had been organized 
and accepted by the Federal Government and Cap- 
tain Birkhead was promoted to the grade of colonel, 
assuming command of the Regiment on that date. 

On August 5, units took the field, encamping in 
local quarters in various towns where they had 
been recruited, and remaining in these camps until 

(9) 



10 Trail of the 61st 

September 5, when orders were received from the 
War Department for the regiment to mobilize at Camp 
Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas. This movement was com- 
pleted September 7, 1917. 

On October 15, the name of the regiment was 
changed from the 2nd Texas Field Artillery to the 
131st Field Artillery, a part of the 61st Field Artil- 
lery Brigade of the 36th Division, and in order to 
bring it to war-time strength 268 men of the first 
national army draft were secured from the 165th 
Depot Brigade at Camp Travis, on October 22, and 
permanently assigned to the regiment the following 
day. This completed the organization of one unit of 
the 61st Brigade. 

When National Guardsmen were called into fed- 
eral service on the last day of March, 1917, the 1st 
Squadron of Texas cavalry under command of Major 
John D, Golding, had a strength of 14 officers and 
402 men, comprising the following units: Supply 
Train and Troop "A," from Houston; Troop '*B," 
from Amarillo ; Troop "C," from San Antonio ; Troop 
**D,''' from Corsicana ; Sanitary Detachment from Gal- 
veston. 

On April 17, all of the above organizations were 
mustered into federal service at Camp Wilson, San 
Antonio, where they remained until July 25, when 
orders were received to move to Camp Bowie, Fort 
Worth, Texas. 

At this time the following newly organized units 
joined the squadron, developing it into a regiment: 
Machine Gun Troop from Hillsboro; Troop "H," 
from Houston; Troop **E,'' from Taylor; Troop **F," 
from Corsicana; Troops **D" and "L," from Fort 
Worth; Troop "G," from Dallas; Troop "K," from 
San Antonio. 



Camp Bowie. 11 

Units of the new regiment began arriving in 
Camp Bowie on September 10, at which time it was 
placed under the command of Col. Arthur R. Sholars. 

On October 18, the regiment was reorganized, 
converted into the 132d Field Artillery of the 61st Field 
Artillery Brigade, and another unit of the 61st was 
thereby established. 

In order to organize a brigade of artillery in 
Texas Col. Fred Logan, of Dallas, was called to Hous- 
ton by Brigadier General Don A. Hulen, June 6, 1917, 
for a conference in which it was decided to recruit 
two regiments of field artillery in Texas, one regi- 
ment to be secured by enlistments and the other to 
be formed from the 1st Texas Cavalry regiment. 

The work of organizing the 1st Texas Field Ar- 
tillery was carried forward rapidly by Col. Logan, the 
regiment being completely organized by the latter part 
of July, and on August 5, it was mustered into the 
federal service and assigned as the Howitzer (big- 
gun) unit of the 61st Field Artillery Brigade. It 
.was composed of six batteries and companies as fol- 
lows: "A," "B" and ''C" Batteries and Headquarters 
and Supply Companies from Dallas; "B" Battery 
from Fort Worth; "E" Battery from Sherman, and 
"F" Battery from Paris. On October 15, the regi- 
ment was reorganized into the 133d Field Artillery, 
Col. Logan retaining command, and the regiment be- 
came a third unit of the 61st Field Artillery Brigade. 

During the spring of 1917, Captain Donald R. 
Bonfoey, Commander of Troop B, 1st regiment of 
Oklahoma National Guard, organized two more troops 
of Oklahoma Cavalry, "C" at McAlester and "D" at. 
Pawhuska. After these units were organized Capt. 
Bonfoey was promoted to the rank of major. Dur- 



12 Trail of the 61st 

ing the summer of 1917, Major Bonfoey received au- 
thority from Washington to organize an Ammunition 
Train and a medical detachment from the four troops 
of Oklahoma cavalry. 

The troops of cavalry and the medical detachment 
proceeded to Camp Bowie, arriving in camp August 
5. On the 15th of August they were reorganized into 
the 111th Ammunition Train, Troops "A," "B" and 
"C" retaining their organizations intact, though being 
converted into companies "E," "F" and "G," of the 
Ammunition Train. Troop "D'' was disorganized and 
its men distributed among the other three companies. 
Lieut. Col. Stevenson was placed in command of the 
Train which later became a unit of the 61st Brigade. 

Troop "K'Z of the 1st Texas Cavalry, organized in 
San Antonio, in company with other troops of the 
1st Texas Cavalry, was mobilized at Camp Bowie, 
Texas, becoming a part of the 36th Division. On Oc- 
tober 15, 1917, when Texas and Oklahoma troops 
were reorganized into the 61st Field Artillery Bri- 
gade, it became the 111th Trench Mortar Battery, 
Captain Lewis Maverick of San Antonio, Texas, or-^ 
ganizer of the troop and its commander when it was 
mustered into federal service at Camp Bowie, re- 
taining command. The battery then became one of 
the five distinct units of the 61st Brigade. 

All of the organizations that were used in the de- 
velopment of the 61st were made up of National Guard 
troops, who were gathered from all parts of Texas 
and Oklahoma and sent to Camp Bowie, Fort Worth. 
Upon arriving at Fort Worth they detrained and pro- 
ceeded immediately to the Clark farm, so called be- 
cause it was owned by Mrs. Clark. It was covered 
by Johnson grass about knee high and showed nothing 
of the great camp that was later built, except that a 



Camp Bowie. 



13 



few piles of lumber lay scattered at random over the 
place. The men put up tents the first afternoon, im- 
mediately after their arrival, but slept that night on 
Johnson grass, which bed, in fact, served them for 
several nights thereafter. 




The arrival of cavalary troops at Camp Bowie, showing how tents were hastily 
erected on the grassy land of the Clark farm. These tents were lat&r made com- 
fortable by the addition of sides and floors of pine boards. 

The first duty of the newly arrived troops was 
that of acting as camp guards, for each day brought 
in vast amounts of government property, especially 
building material. Not all of the men were used as 
guards, however, and just as rapidly as time per- 
mitted and men could be spared for the purpose, the 
camp was put into shape. Grass was cut, troop 
streets were laid out and graded, ditches were dug 
and a thousand and one things incident to the build- 
ing of a new camp were done by the men. There 
were no quiet hours, for the soldiers realized that 
they were engaging in the biggest piece of work of 
their lives and that they must enter into this work 



14 Trail of the 61st 

with energy and spirit if they were to become prop- 
erly trained foi overseas. Moreover, most of them 
believed that their stay in Camp Bowie would be short 
and that they would rapidly be trained to the point 
where they could leave for France; and this belief 
caused them to lose no time in putting themselves into 
condition. 

As the cavalry troops were the first soldiers to 
occupy Camp Bowie, they were forced not only to do 
guard duty over government stores, but also to fur- 
nish military police for Fort Worth, where troops were 
coming and going and over-patriotic citizens were be- 
ing imposed upon. Work of this kind occupied about 
three months of time, after which other troops arrived 
and the cavalry units were transferred to the artil- 
lery service. 

But most of the work during the early months 
of their stay in Camp Bowie was pleasing to the 
men because of the generous manner in which the 
townspeople of Fort Worth proved their appreciation 
of the soldiers and gave of their bounteous hospital- 
ity. Nothing was too good for the newly arrived sol- 
diers ; no opportunity was overlooked to give them au- 
tomobile rides or to treat them to candy, ice cream 
and cold drinks; and it early became an established 
policy on the part of families of Fort Worth to invite 
soldiers to their homes for Sunday dinners and for 
other forms of entertainment. No city could have 
shown a warmer attitude of helpfulness and kindly in- 
terest toward its soldiers than Fort Worth did during 
the first few months after Camp Bowie was opened. 

So m.any people called at the camp to take the 
boys for automobile rides that the soldiers soon 
learned to accept this kindness as a matter of course 



Camp Bowie. 15 

and thought nothing more of it than they did of re- 
ceiving food free of charge from the government. It 
is a sad fact that this attitude grev^ to such propor- 
tions that carelessness in their treatment of the citi- 
zens of Fort Worth became common among the sol- 
diers, and the city in self-protection, practically shut 
its doors to the camp. 

The construction of Camp Bowie proceeded 
rapidly, under the supervision of the Thompson Con- 
struction company, v^hich had a force of several thou- 
sand laborers engaged in erecting buildings and in 
otherv^ise making a camp. The first buildings to be 
erected were the mess halls for troops, *'A," ''B," "C" 
and "D" of the 1st Texas Cavalry; and these build- 
ings were welcomed with satisfaction by the troops 
who before their erection had been compelled to cook 
and serve their meals in the open, regardless of exces- 
sive heat or rain. But now, being housed in substan- 
tial buildings where tables were provided so that 
men could be seated at their meals, they felt like 
soldiers who were appreciated. 

Simultaneously with the erection of the mess 
halls, the cavalry troops constructed floors to their 
tents from lumber, which they bought with their own 
money, and built sidings to their tents with pieces 
of cast off lumber from the camp. In this manner 
Bowie soon assumed a regulation appearance, having 
reasonably well built tents, broad, properly policed 
streets and a sufficient number of mess halls to ac- 
commodate all troops. The men lived in more com- 
fort because of this development, for before tent 
floors and sidings had been built it was no uncommon 
thing for heavy rainstorms to bring disaster to the 
camp. Texas rainstorms often come with such vio- 
lence that the canvas tents, fastened to the ground 



16 TraAl of the 61st 

only with sticks and ropes, were unable to withstand 
the strain and were blown down. But now that 
wooden foundations to the tents were built such a 
possibility was precluded except in times of excep- 
tionally severe storms. 

To the majority of soldiers who first came to 
Bowie, camp life was not new, for they had passed 
several months on the Mexican border and had grown 
accustomed to soldier life. They felt with reason that 
since they had served their apprenticeship on the 
border they would not be compelled to remain long 
in an American camp, but would soon be developed 
into efficient fighting men competent to meet the 
best troops of the German army and to successfully 
cope with them. "Squads East and West" were tol- 
erated by these men because they realized that a cer- 
tain amount of this grind was necessary to equip them 
for the part they had to play in the war, and such 
other duties as were imposed upon them they accepted 
and executed with cheerfulness and dispatch. 

Shortly after the various units of the National 
Guard had gotten properly settled in camp a training 
schedule was established by the Commanding General 
and the men were soon engaged in executing such 
squad movements as were required on the parade 
grounds or in the field. This training was made diffi- 
cult by the fact that the drills were held over ground 
which was badly broken and cut by ravines and liter- 
ally covered with rocks, which had to be removed with 
hands or shovels. Camp Bowie is located on seven 
hills to the west of Fort Worth and these hills are 
separated by small valleys over which the men had 
to work in their maneuvering and training. 

But work was not all the soldiers did, for the Y. 
M. C. A. huts scattered over camp proved to be con- 



Camp Boivie. 17 

gregational points, where during the evenings large 
groups of men found their way for amusement 
and letter writing. Thousands of letters bearing 
the red triangle and ''with the colors," slogan on 
the envelope, were sent over the country from 
the Y. M. C. A. buildings, for the soldier boys 
early learned the habit of writing letters regularly 
to their homefolks. In fact, every time they entered 
a Y. M. C. A. building, their attention was directed 
to this duty. Paper and envelopes were always avail- 
able except at such times as the supply became ex- 
hausted from the tremendous drain imposed upon it. 

The Y. M. C. A. provided interesting and edu- 
cative entertainments practically every evening and 
these entertainments were usually attended by large 
audiences, the soldiers eagerly accepting an opportuni- 
ty to get away from their quarters for a while. Any 
number of first-class moving pictures were offered 
at the ''Y," and though the facilities for showing 
them were not as good as those afforded by city thea- 
ters, the men enjoyed the numbers hugely and made 
proper allowances for the conditions. 

Likewise, the entertainments furnished by the 
Liberty Theater, were welcome to the majority of the 
soldiers, for at nominal expense good bills could be 
seen there practically any evening. Thousands of sol- 
diers were entertained at the Liberty Theater by Theda 
Bara, Douglas Fairbanks and other noted movie stars, 
the charge for this service being reduced to a mini- 
mum. Aside from the lack of comfortable seats and 
the presence of men only, the soldiers easily forgot 
that they were in army playhouses. 

Other amusements supported freely and enjoyed 
greatly, were boxing and wrestling matches. Fre- 



18 



Trail of the 61st 




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Camp Bowie. 19 

quent bouts were held and the men were given the 
opportunity of seeing the country's best fighters and 
wrestlers in action. In truth, prize fighting developed 
into one of the most popular entertainments in Camp 
Bowie, and taken, as a whole, the camp became en- 
thusiastic over this sport. The soldiers assembled in 
vast crowds and clamorously cheered for their men 
at each bout until good seats at the ringsides became 
almost impossible to secure. 

Moreover, many of the national singers and en- 
tertainers found their way to Camp Bowie during 
the time the 61st was in training there and it was 
largely the fault of the soldiers themselves if they 
didn't have pleasant times. It is true the men had 
to work hard every day, but their work kept them 
in the best of health, and during the evenings and 
holidays they were given entertainments of the high- 
est order. 

On October 15, 1917, the 61st Field Artillery Bri- 
gade was formed from the Oklahoma and Texas 
Guards, but as these organizations did not contain a 
sufficient number of men to fill the brigade to full 
war strength a large number of drafted men from 
the first national army draft were secured on Octo- 
ber 22, 1917, from the 165th Depot Brigade at Camp 
Travis; and the first week in June, 1918, a second 
contingent of draft men were brought to Camp Bowie 
from Texas and Oklahoma, though chiefly from Camp 
Travis. The life of these newly drafted soldiers was 
entirely different from that of the National Guards- 
men at the time the latter entered camp. The drafted 
men were taken to detention camp immediately upon 
arrival, where they were given bed-clothing and cots 
and were assigned to tents. The detention camp, 
which was constructed to accommodate about 5,000 



20 Trail of the 61st 

troops, was surrounded by ten-foot woven wire, at 
the top of which were stretched several strands of 
barbed-wire. The entrances were kept heavily guard- 
ed and it was seen that none of the new men were 
allowed to leave detention camp during their stay 
there. 

The theory upon which the detention camp was 
established was that men coming from all parts of the 
country were likely to carry diseases with them, and 
in order to prevent any distribution of these diseases 
among the older troops in camp, and for the purpose 
of keeping troops under close supervision for two 
weeks while they were undergoing vaccination and 
preliminary drills, the drafted men were made to en- 
ter a detention or segregation camp. It was here 
that the authorities carefully examined every man, 
vaccinated him for small-pox and typhoid, and saw 
to it that he was made into a perfectly sanitary being 
before being allowed in the camp proper. 

The tents, occupied by the new-comers, accom- 
modated from six to eight men and were practically 
a replica of the tents in the main camp. The men 
were taught to prepare their bunks, to answer rev- 
eille, and to police their quarters each day — expe- 
riences entirely novel to them. They were arranged 
into companies, having their own company streets, 
latrines and messhalls, and were placed under the 
immediate command of sergeants who had been se- 
lected for this purpose from the trained units in the 
main camp. 

To these civilians, life in the detention camp 
was "one damn thing right after another." They 
were rudely awakened each morning by the shrill 
whistle of the "Top Cutter'' and, in case they didn't 



Camp Bowie. 



21 




22 Trail of the 61st 

fall out promptly, were more rudely ousted from their 
bunks by some unsympathetic, curt orderly who was 
sent to their tents with the gruff admonition to **get 
those rookies to hell up in line; what do they think 
this is — ^their birthday?" After having the message 
delivered verbatim to them, they were sure to re- 
spond with a speed in dressing, directly in contrast 
to the slow, sleepy fashion in which they had been 
wont to arise and come down to breakfast in their 
civilian homes. 

After having "fallen in" and dressed their lines 
they were given orders for the day and were likely 
divided into groups to take exercises. This exercise 
business proved to be quite an interesting affair to 
these soft men, who had come to camp from offices 
and indoor work. Some fat fellows, especially, found 
it difficult to execute all of the movements, their 
grunts and pantings often keeping time to the com- 
mands of their leaders. With the perspiration burst- 
ing forth from their round cheeks and their flesh 
forming in great remonstrating rolls, the only indi- 
cation they gave of ever becoming soldiers was the 
earnest manner in which they entered into their work. 

After taking exercises the men were told to fall 
in line for mess, and this command was always met 
with shouts of approbation, the men proceeding to 
their tents with an alacrity, which judging by their 
previous actions was truly remarkable. It was here 
that scrambles ensued, for especially rotund individ- 
uals, with gluttonous appetites always tried to be the 
first men to the mess halls, regardless of whether or 
not they were living away down the street or close to 
the mess halls. With cunning and swift steps they 
attempted to press in ahead of every man who ap- 



Camp Bowie. 23 

peared before them in line, entirely heedless of caus- 
tic remarks and impervious to all sarcasm. If they 
proved successful in their efforts and succeeded in ar- 
riving among the first in the mess-hall they v^^ere sure 
to look v^ith envious eyes at the amount of food served 
to those near them and to grumble over the fact that 
they had been given a small amount of food, even 
though their mess kits had been loaded to the brim by 
the kitchen police. They ravenously hurried through 
their meals and were to be seen a few minutes there- 
after taking their places again in line, using the same 
squirming fox-like methods to advance. 

It did not take the men long to notice such indi- 
viduals and before many days had passed they always 
managed to ''take a fall" out of them. In several in- 
stances they conspired among themselves to break 
these gluttons by saving all scraps from their meals 
and looking up the gentlemen while they were eating a 
second helping, to remark that "they had brought them 
some more food," after which they quite generously 
deposited all of their scraps into the mess kits of the 
gluttons, thereby filling the mess kits full to overflow- 
ing, and ruining the remaining good food. 

The morning meal was usually followed by gen- 
eral policing of quarters and preparations for the 
day's drill. The men were placed in groups of from 
eight to fifty, according to the number of men avail- 
able to train them and usually each group contained 
several men who had had some previous military 
training, these men being always in demand by the 
sergeants in charge. The mornings were chiefly de- 
voted to teaching foot movements and positions of 
the soldier, the squad movements being taken up as 
soon as progress permitted. 



24 Trail of the 61st 

The vaccinations were the most unpopular expe- 
riences in the detention camp, for not only did sore 
arms develop from the small-pox vaccinations, but 
fever and racking headaches also resulted from the 
injection of anti-typhoid serum. Sometimes as many 
as half of the men in a company of three or four hun- 
dred were too sick to drill or to go on hikes and 
marches. The men dreaded each trip to the infirm- 
ary, for they never knew when they were going to be 
examined or made to take some kind of medicine. 
Salts, especially, seemed to be quite popular with the 
medical officers, the men being lined up quite often 
to "pass in review" before a large tub of strong salts, 
each man receiving from a half pint to a pint of this 
pleasant drink. The results of such kindly attention 
on the part of the medical officers always resulted in 
great camp activity, the men often living up to the 
reputation of sprinters while engaged in the proper 
execution of their pressing military duties. Hook 
worms and salts soon grew to be synonymous terms 
to the soldiers and they shied from both like scary 
horses from bits of bright colored paper. Attempts 
to overtake some unwary hookworm resulted in many 
episodes that will never find their way to print. 

An order in detention camp which will long live 
in the memory of the men who were affected by it 
was that calling for the cutting of all hair to a short- 
ness of one-half inch.. When this order was read to 
the troops it created much consternation, many lads 
fondly passing their fingers through their endangered 
locks, with the prayer that they might escape. But 
the ruthless mule clippers found their way to the 
heads of even the most beautiful hair and each man 
was turned out a freshly sheared sacrifice to the god 
of military efficiency, bearing witness that lice and 



Camp Bowie, 25 

Uncle Sam had declared war on each other. Many of 
the Indians refused to credit the order when it was 
first read to them and, upon being approached about 
having their braids of hair removed, were emphatic 
in their refusals to be subjected to such indignity. 
But the sergeants, firm in their duty, marched forth 
with a host of assistants to impress upon these way- 
ward nephews of Uncle Sam that all individual relig- 
ious customs and rights must be waived when Uncle 
Sam issued orders. The Indians were seized by enough 
men to hold them securely and rough hands applied 
the mule shears to the quivering indignant heads of 
these embryonic war chiefs, leaving them in a badly 
shorn condition. In several instances they bellowed 
and roared, threatening to subject all sergeants and 
^'Uncles" to the deepest and hottest depths of perdi- 
tion, but their vitriolic upheavals always subsided into 
stoic moroseness, from which they were again aroused 
with difficulty. 

Most of the men enjoyed the opportunity of go- 
ing on hikes, even though the weather was tremen- 
dously hot and the marches were several miles in 
length and over rough roads. Anything to get away 
from detention camp for a short time was welcomed 
by the ''rookies" for they were held in the ''bull pen" 
so closely that they became tired of everything in it. 
The trips to Lake Komo were especially pleasing to 
them because they were allowed to take swims there 
on numerous occasions. The change from the stuffy 
hot camp to the freedom of this nice cool lake was a 
God-send and they enjoyed it accordingly. 

One section of the detention camp was conduct- 
ed on a slightly different basis from the rest of the 
camp, the "G. 0.-45" men being placed in a section 
to themselves. These men were accorded special at- 



26 Trail of the 61st 

tention and nothing was left undone to "make them 
safe for Democracy;" they were drilled separately, 
fed separately and guarded separately, being so re- 
stricted in their activities as to have little contact 
with the other men in camp. 

After the men had been held in detention camp 
for two weeks they were herded into an open space 
before detention camp headquarters, where they re- 
mained for two days in the boiling hot sun while 
their names were read, informing them of the units 
to which they had been assigned. No greater strain 
than this was placed upon them while they were in 
the service and all felt they were mistreated here. 
They were ordered to stand until given permission to 
sit, then after being allowed to sit were ordered to re- 
main in that posture until allowed to stand, and thus 
they were changed about throughout the two days, 
until both the soles of their feet and the seats of their 
trousers were worn from the strain. If they hadn't 
become sunburned before this time it was a certainty 
that they left either as red as berries or as brown as 
nuts. 

The men were soon assigned to various organiza- 
tions and though new to the army and from widely 
varied sections of Oklahoma and Texas, they required 
only a few weeks time to become thoroughly ac- 
quainted with the other soldiers and to learn that 
they were just as welcome in the organization as any 
man who had volunteered. They soon caught the vision 
of the guardsmen and though less experienced, entered 
into army work with the determination to overcome 
the handicap under which they labored. The result 
of their efforts was manifest in the ease and rapidity 
with which they mastered foot drill and military 



Camp Bowie. 



27 



maneuvers. In a few weeks they were able to do 
creditable drill in any formation. 

One apparent disadvantage which a majority of 
the soldiers of the 61st Brigade had to combat was 
that they had received their previous training as cav- 
alrymen and were thoroughly unacquainted with ar- 
tillery drill and the nomenclature of the field pieces 
they were to use. Yet, instead of proving a handicap, 
this lack of knowledge proved to be a blessing, for 
during the long weary months in which they were held 




One of the artillery pieces, showing a. gun crew at drill. The man seated 
by the wheel with his face turned toward the rear is the Gunner and' he is 
waiting for the signal to pull his lanyard, thereby firing the shell, as soon as 
he can close the breechlock after the shell is put in. 

at Camp Bowie, their ignorance forced them to de- 
vote much time and attention to the task of making 
themselves better acquainted with their work. 

But, regardless of the fact that they realized their 
shortcomings as artillerymen, these men clamored in- 
sistently from the moment they entered Camp Bowie 
to be sent to France and to be allowed to get into the 



28 Trail of the 61st 

fight. They talked and acted in terms of battles and 
dangers, and manifested a spirit of fearlessness and 
desire for danger which increased the longer they 
were held in America. They were fighters and knew 
it; they demanded action but got it only once during 
the entire war. 

During the first two or three months of their 
drilling period they trained without equipment, devot- 
ing their time to the theoretical study of artillery on 
miniature ranges. They acquired skill, regardless of 
handicaps, and early showed themselves to be a unit 
of unusual capacity. 

In the matter of horses, the brigade was also 
very unfortunate, for it received a number totally in- 
adequate for use in mounted drill. But the officers 
made the best of conditions by continuing training as 
rapidly as facilities permitted, the horses being inter- 
changed freely by various units. When a special 
mounted maneuver was desired a sufficient number of 
horses were borrowed or assigned to the unit engaging 
in the maneuver to allow a successful execution of 
the drill. 

But in the matter of wheeled materiel the bri- 
gade was in dire straits, for practically no equipment 
of this nature was available. After waiting several 
months for ordnance equipment one battery of three- 
inch guns was finally secured by the 133d regiment 
and these field pieces were used at varying inter- 
vals by the different batteries of the three artillery 
regiments for the several months following. The 
first firing practice on the range occurred in Febru- 
ary, 1918, when the 133d regiment commenced prac- 
tice in the pasture of the Corn and Hildreth ranch, 
twelve miles from Camp Bowie, where a temporary 
range was established. The booming of the three- 



Camp Boivie. 



29 



inch guns brought the first touch of war to the men 
of the 61st and they looked forward with eagerness 
to the time when they could use this experience to 
good advantage on the battlefields of Europe. The 
133rd regiment was followed by the 131st regiment, 
the 132nd regiment being the last organization to go 
to the ranges. 

While the artillery units were engaged in their 
practice, the Ammunition Train and Trench Mortar 




A howitzer (big gun) in extreme recoil, just after a shot had been fired 
from the muzzle, wliich shows the manner in which the men seated on the pieces 
protected themselves from the jar of explosion by grasping the shield. The 
recoils of the big guns often raised the wheels clear of the ground and the 
men caught hold of the shields in order to keep from sliding off of their seats. 



Battery were undergoing similar training experiences 
in their branches of the service. Foot drill, parades, 
rifle practice and long marches came in regular and 
weary succession. The men were taught the manual 
of arms, open and close drill formations and such 
other special details as were necessary to effect thor- 
ough and efficient development in their organizations. 



30 Trail of the 61st 

The 111th Trench Mortar Battery was probably 
the busiest organization in Camp Bowie, for Capt. 
Maverick, a Spanish-American war veteran of the 
Roosevelt Rough Riders, strictly adhered to the pol- 
icy of ''making hay while the sun shines." He out- 
lined strenuous training programs, personally directed 
his men in their training and made each day full of 
work for every man in his command. 

The brigade was equipped with clothing shortly 
after its arrival at Camp Bowie, though there were 
the customary misfits and difficulties in satisfying 
every soldier. In numerous instances big six-footers, 
often with three inches of wrists showing from 
short coat sleeves and with special splices in their 
waist lines, took aside little five-foot dwarfs, whose 
blouses could easily have accommodated two men of 
their size, and confidentially told them what a shame 
it was that the government couldn't furnish fellows 
with properly fitting clothes. But such disgruntled 
remarks were not made in a spirit of serious discon- 
tent, for, on the whole, the men were well equipped 
and well satisfied. There was some delay in the fall 
of 1917 in receiving woolen garments, but as the first 
issue of winter clothing was made in November and 
the weather had been mild up to that time, no one 
suffered from the delay. Before the end of the year 
each soldier in the brigade was equipped with the full 
winter equipment prescribed by the quartermaster. 

During the latter days of October, 1917, Camp 
Bowie became infested with disease; a serious epi- 
demic broke out and continued unabated for more 
than two months. In making a report on the matter 
Sergeant Woodyard of the 131st regiment said: 
"Practically every man in the 61st brigade was 
stricken with one malady or another, but fortunately 



Camp Bowie, 31 

a majority of the attacks were astonishingly light. 
The cause of this epidemic is not tangibly known. 

''It might be traceable to a number of reasons: 
dust, hard work done by men unused to manual labor 
and a number of other sources. However, medical 
authorities competent to speak, attributed the scourge 
to the fact that too many men were sleeping in crowd- 
ed quarters, and that harmful germs naturally trans- 
ferred from one sleeper to another. Increased efforts 
were immediately made to secure a more liberal al- 
lowance of tents, which finally resulted in enough 
canvas being secured to allow the men to be quar- 
tered not more than eight in one tent. The epidemic 
of measles and other diseases of the pulmonary or- 
gans immediately began to subside, and before March 
1, 1918, Camp Bowie's death rate came back to par 
with other camps." 

After this experience, camp authorities made it 
their personal duty to inspect the condition of all 
tents and to make sure that sanitary conditions were 
maintained at a high standard. 

One of the policies inaugurated and emphasized 
by General Blakeley in the 61st Brigade was the the- 
oretical instruction of his enlisted men. Having grad- 
uated from West Point, himself, and later served as 
an instructor in that institution, he keenly appreciated 
the value of teaching men the theory of artillery work. 
He established various schools and placed efficient 
instructors in charge to teach men the technique of 
artillery firing. The work done in these schools 
proved invaluable, for the men were able to put the 
theories learned there rapidly into effect in the field, 
this service being specially beneficial because of the 
scarcity of ordnance property. 



32 Trail of the 61st 

General Blakeley also used his school idea in mak- 
ing plans for his officers. Practically every officer 
in his brigade was sent to the range to take a special 
course in artillery firing, and a large number of them 
were sent to Fort Sill, where they entered the School 
of Fire. After completing their work such officers 
as were in Fort Sill returned to Camp Bowie, where 
they were detailed as instructors on the range and in 
the school rooms. General Blakeley was so thorough 
in his work that many of his officers have said they 
would rather face a firing squad than to go before 
him and be quizzed about their knowledge of artil- 
lery. 

After work was completed on the range, the men 
were drilled in foot movements, military courtesies 
and such other special drills as were necessary to 
make them finished soldiers. There was guard duty, 
police duty, kitchen duty and daily formations in mo- 
notonous succession, until the men grew sick and tired 
of Camp Bowie, cursing the fate that held them in 
the states when apparently there was such need for 
their services in Europe. During this time rumors by 
the thousand and million flooded the camp; night 
and day, at reveille and at retreat; on duty and off 
duty — everywhere, rumor reigned supreme. 

During the latter part of May gas masks were 
issued to the brigade and from then until the time 
they left Camp Bowie it was customary to see bat- 
teries of men engaged in gas drill. This drill was 
very disagreeable during the hot weather, perspira- 
tion gathering in the masks in such quantities that the 
men were at times persecuted with a deluge of hot 
briny water over their faces and in their eyes. But 
upon protesting against this treatment they were told 
by their officers that no doubt this was only a slight 



Camp Bowie. 33 

indication of the inconveniences to be undergone in 
Europe and if they were unable to stand this little in- 
convenience here they would be poor soldiers in 
France. 

On July 4, a special detachment of officers and 
enlisted men left Camp Bowie for overseas, as an ad- 
vance school detachment from the 61st Brigade. These 
men were sent ahead of the brigade to study new 
developments in artillery work, and to make ar- 
rangements for the arrival of the remainder of the 
brigade. The detachment arrived at Hoboken, N. J., 
July 9, remaining there until July 18, when it sailed 
for France on the U. S. S. George Washington. After 
an uneventful voyage it arrived in Brest, July 30th, 
and was immediately sent to Camp de Coetquidan, 
where the men entered various schools. 

Brig. Gen. Geo. Blakeley, who had been in com- 
mand of the 61st Brigade since its organization in 
Camp Bowie, was relieved of command on July 11 
and ordered to Charleston, S. C, to assume com- 
mand of the Atlantic Coast Artillery District. Gen. 
Blakeley had won the confidence of his men and they 
sincerely regretted his transfer. Upon his departure 
Col. Arthur Sholars, commander of the 132nd regi- 
ment, assumed command of the brigade. 

On July 10, 1918, Camp Bowie was the scene of 
wild joy, the long hoped for order from headquarters 
authorizing the 61st Field Artillery to entrain July 
16, for Hoboken, N. J., being received in the morning, 
and the pent up feelings of the soldiers found expres- 
sion in feverish preparations for an early departure. 

Where lassitude and inertia had reigned only a 
few hours before, excitement and activity now domi- 
nated. Men commenced to write home ; they prepared 



34 



Trail of the 61st 




COLONEL ARTHUR R. SHOLARS, 
Commander of 132nd F. A. 

(See Appendix) 



Camp Botvie. 35 

for inspections which they knew would come; invoice 
was taken of all property on hand and those who had 
a surplus were careful to see that it was boxed up 
and sent home so that their equipment would be in 
full compliance with oversea regulations; not a single 
thing was left undone that would retard their depart- 
ure from camp. They worked with smiles and songs 
on their lips and everybody was gloriously happy. If 
there was a single individual in the brigade who was 
not glad to leave Camp Bowie he did not make his 
feelings known. 

By the evening of July 15 the brigade was all set 
for entraining on the following day, and men an- 
swered taps only because they were required to do so. 
Very few slept during the night and all looked for- 
ward to the morrow as a red letter day in their lives. 



II. 

BOWIE TO MILLS 

The morning of July 16 th dawned clear and hot, 
but the heat was scarcely noticed by the hurrying men 
as they bustled about in final preparation for their de- 
parture from Camp Bowie. Tents were torn down 
and hurriedly taken away in trucks; barrack bags, 
stuffed to the limit, were thrown into waiting trucks 
to be hauled to the trains; men darted hither and 
thither over the camp, busy as bees preparing to 
swarm. 

The First and Third Battalions of the 133rd F. 
A., and the whole 132nd regiment had entrained the 
previous day, leaving Bowie at eight-thirty a. m. The 
Second Battalion of the 131st F. A. was marched to 
the train and loaded on cars early in the morning, 
leaving a short while before noon. The 111th Trench 
Mortar Battery and Brigade Headquarters occupied 
their coaches by 11 o'clock in the morning and were 
away from camp by 1 p. m. The following day the 
First Battalion of the 131st and the 111th Ammuni- 
tion Train waved farewell to Camp Bov ie, the depart- 
ure of these organizations taking the last soldiers of 
the 61st Brigade from Fort Worth, the scene of so 
many long, weary months of work during the past 
eleven months. 

A part of the brigade traveled to Camp Mills 
over the northern route and a part over the southern 
route. Those traveling over the northern route went 
from Camp Bowie through northern Texas, over the 
Texas & Pacific railroad, to Durant, Oklahoma, having 

(36) 



Bowie to Mills. 37 

passed through Denton, Collinsville and Denison, 
Texas on the way. At all of these places they were 
greeted by great demonstrations on the part of the 
citizens, who were at the stations in numbers to see 
the boys as they passed through and to bid them God- 
speed on their journey. At each station bevies of 
girls, garbed in the uniform of Red Cross workers, 
distributed sweetmeats, postcards and, in a few in- 
stances, kisses to the boys. Most of the units stopped 
at Denison for an hour or so in order to take exer- 
cise and while there were treated to many kindnesses. 

Without stopping at Durant the trains proceeded 
into Oklahoma, passing through Caddo, Atoka, 
Kiowa, Savannah and other small towns until Mc- 
Alester was reached. To many of the men this part 
of Oklahoma was familiar, though a majority of the 
Texas troops looked out in surprise upon the barren 
landscape with its rocky hills and many coal mines. 
The appearance of the rocks, which are composed 
largely of slate and granite, also proved to be a 
source of considerable interest. 

After leaving McAlester, the trains passed 
through Eufaula and Checotah, arriving at Musko- 
gee, one of the large cities of Oklahoma. A great 
many girls were in evidence in this town, some of 
them being so anxious to see the boys that they 
climbed into the coaches for that purpose. The boys 
from Texas were especially interested in these Ok- 
lahoma girls because so many of them were Indian 
girls. 

Leaving Muskogee, the trains passed through the 
northeastern part of Oklahoma, arriving at another 
good-sized town, Parsons, Kansas, where the men 
saw the large 3^ards of the M., K. & T. Railroad. To 
the east of Parsons the country showed signs of the 



38 Trail of the 61st 

roughness that is so marked farther east toward the 
great mining districts in Missouri, but to the north 
and west the land lay in a great rolling prairie, fine 
crops of corn and wheat showing up well. From Par- 
sons, the journey was continued through Ft. Scott, 
where the soldiers saw great numbers of negroes ; and 
continuing on their way they passed through rich 
farm lands of eastern Kansas and western Missouri, 
where a number of prosperous towns were passed, 
until Sedalia was reached. Several of the units pa- 
raded in Sedalia, being hospitably treated by its citi- 
zens. 

The next move brought the trains to the Mis- 
souri river, which was -crossed a short distance from 
Boonville, Missouri, the men observing that the bridge 
over the river was carefully guarded by soldiers. 
Passing through the scenic lands of pretty hills and 
winding streams of Missouri the troops came again to 
the Missouri river and crossed over it on the large 
concrete bridge at St. Charles, Mo. 

The most important city of the trip thus far was 
now approached, St. Louis being entered. St. Louis 
did not appeal to the men, for its dirty, grimy streets 
and old smoke-stained buildings compared very un- 
favorably with the fresh-looking, neat little cities of 
Texas and Oklahoma. In St. Louis many men who 
had not been north before had their first sight of fac- 
tories, the large railroad station, viaducts and other 
features common to large cities. 

Taking the Wabash tracks, the troop trains 
passed from St. Louis into Illinois, going through 
Litchfield to Decatur. Illinois presented great 
stretches of rich farm lands where tremendous crops 
of corn were being raised, and where many of the 



Boiv'ie to Mills. 



39 



COLONEL FRED LOGAX. 

Commander of 133rd F. A. 

(See Appendix.) 



40 Trail of the 61st 

soldiers for the first time saw corn grown in such 
quantity. 

Leaving Decatur, the troops were taken through 
Danville, over the state line to Fort Wayne, Indiana, 
where they observed the factories of the General Elec- 
tric Company and the Wabash Railroad Company. It 
was here they had their first view of girls dressed in 
overalls. 

The trains were divided at Fort Wayne, a part 
of them going to Toledo and thence to Detroit, while 
the others continued to Mansfield and Cleveland. 
Detroit seemed very attractive to the soldiers; they 
had heard enough about this wonderful city to be 
greatly pleased over passing through it. 

Crossing the Detroit river on ferry boats, the 
trains were landed in Canada, where for the first 
time since their Mexican border experiences the men 
found themselves outside of the boundaries of their 
own country. They were much more favorably im- 
pressed with Canada, however, than they had been 
with Mexico. They passed through several Canadian 
towns and one of the men in relating the experiences 
of his trip said of the Canadian girls at Windsor, 
"They kissed us good-bye and hugged us; they were 
very nice girls." 

Niagara Falls, Ontario, was reached early one 
morning, Niagara Falls, New York, being entered 
shortly thereafter. On the New York side the soldiers 
left the cars to see the famous water falls, and were 
much impressed by the wonderful sight. 

From Niagara they passed through New York on 
the Lehigh Valley railroad, and stopped for a short 
time at Rochester. From Rochester they continued on 
their route through Pennsylvania and New Jersey to 
Jersey City. 



Bowie to Mills. 41 

The latter part of the trip had been the most 
beautiful for the scenery was varied and highly attrac- 
tive; prosperous farm houses dotted the landscape 
and wealthy manufacturing towns were passed fre- 
quently. The roadbed of the Lehigh Valley lies for 
the most part along the bank of the Susquehannah 
river, which is one of the most beautiful little streams 
in the United States. Also during the evenings and 
nights the men greatly enjoyed watching the many 
burning furnaces along the route as these furnaces 
gave forth dancing flames of blue, yellow and white 
light. 

That part of the train going by way of Cleve- 
land also had a very enjoyable trip. Cleveland itself 
was visited by the soldiers and most of them were 
pleased with it. After Cleveland, the trains came to 
Erie, Pennsylvania, near which the cars were stopped 
and the men allowed to detrain for a bath in Lake 
Erie. They had been cooped up in berths for several 
days, and greatly enjoyed the water and played about 
in it for an hour or more. 

Proceeding from Erie, the next large town 
reached was Buffalo, New York, where the troop 
trains were transferred to the D., L. & W. tracks, on 
which they remained until Jersey City was reached. 
The experience of these latter troops through New 
YorK, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were similar to 
those who had just passed through these states on 
the Lehigh Valley railroad. 

The section of the troops which started over the 
southern route entrained on the Cotton Belt tracks, 
going from Fort Worth through several northern 
Texas towns, the most important of which was Green- 
ville, where they were accorded a most royal welcome, 
and were served with candy, cakes, watermelons and 



42 Trail of the 61st 

postcards. Proceeding from Greenville they passed 
through Texas into Arkansas, to Pine Bluff, the largest 
town seen in Arkansas. They were entertained right 
merrily in Arkansas by the rough, hilly country, the 
proverbial Arkansas '*hill-billies" and the noted rail- 
splitter hogs. 

The trains next proceeded to Memphis, Tennes- 
see, which southern metropolis seemed highly attrac- 
tive to the men when they became acquainted with it. 
Many units were allowed to detrain here for a short 
time to visit the town. 

Leaving Memphis a part of the trains proceeded 
across the Mississippi line and passed through Corinth 
to Chattanooga. The latter town, which played such 
an important part in the civil war, was visited for a 
short time by the troops and they were treated to the 
usual delicacies by Red Cross women. 

The trains now passed through Tennessee to 
Knoxville, Johnson City and Bristol, going over the 
state line into Virginia. Radford and Roanoke were 
next passed, the trains later arriving at Lynchburg, 
also one of the cities that suffered greatly during the 
Civil war. Only a few miles from this point, the 
troops were told, was located the great natural bridge 
of Virginia. 

The trip thus far through the old southern 
states had been very disappointing, for instead of 
finding prosperous lands full of beautiful homes and 
happy people the soldiers had seen uncultivated areas 
inhabited largely by negroes and poor white farmers, 
who apparently earned a meager livelihood by doing 
just enough farming to keep them alive. Their homes 
were dilapidated, their stock scrawny and poorly fed, 
and everything about them showed lack of attention 
ai7d energy. 



Bowie to Mills. 43 

Leaving Lynchburg, the troops proceeded to 
Fredericksburg, Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, 
Philadelphia and Trenton, arriving finally at Jersey 
City. 

The other division of this train left Memphis for 
Birmingham where they detrained a while to see the 
^'Southern Pittsburgh." They were greatly impressed 
with this city, because of its clean broad streets, bust- 
ling population and beautiful buildings, and labeled 
it the most attractive city through which they had 
passed. 

Proceeding from Birmingham, the trains next 
reached Atlanta, which though much older and less 
attractive than Birmingham, yet had an air of age 
that appealed to the men. The Red Cross women 
were especially fine here also. 

Atlanta was soon left behind in the journey on- 
ward through Georgia, South Carolina and North 
Carolina. Raleigh was the next city of importance 
reached, but the troops had become so accustomed to 
southern cities by this time that they paid little at- 
tention to Raleigh, except to notice that it was the 
capital of North Carolina. 

From Raleigh the troops proceeded to Richmond, 
where a short stop was allowed to see the city. The 
men had heard so much about Atlanta that they ex- 
pected to see a much more attractive city than it 
proved to be. 

After Richmond came Fredericksburg, from 
which they followed the same route as that taken 
by the other troops who had separated from them at 
Memphis. The remainder of the trip was much more 
interesting than the first part had been, as it lay over 
a part of the country rich in scenery and full of his- 
torical interest. 



44 Trail of the 61st 

Washington, D. C, was especially interesting to 
the troops, though only a few of them were allowed 
to detrain for the purpose of seeing it. Every man 
made a strong effort to see the national capital and the 
White House, though the Washington monument and 
governmental buildings also came in for their share 
of interest. Then, too, the men anxiously, sought a 
view of historical old Pennsylvania avenue and the 
wonderful statuary so abundant in Washington. 

Baltimore proved interesting to the troops, chief- 
ly because it was situated on Chesapeake bay, where 
the men felt that they could catch a whiff of ocean 
breezes. Philadelphia, because of its size and age, 
was also enjoyed. From Jersey City the reunited 
troops were transferred by ferry to Long Island, and 
in this trip passed under the three great bridges that 
join the Island with the mainland of New York City. 
When the ferry boats left the landing at Hoboken 
and the men felt themselves being carried on the 
water a thrill of excitement passed over them, for 
practically all realized that this was a small taste of 
what they would probably be experiencing on the 
Atlantic ocean within a short time. 

Upon debarking from the ferry boats on Long 
Island they were loaded on trains which took them 
to a station near Camp Mills where they detrained, 
were formed in columns and marched to newly . as- 
signed quarters. 

But even before becoming settled in camp at 
Mills discussion became rife about the wonderful trip 
they had just completed and practically all of the men 
wrote long letters home describing their experiences 
on this trip. 

While at Camp Bowie they had become accus- 
tomed to sleeping on cots, between blankets, without 



Bowie to Mills. 45 

sheets or pillows but the Pullman cars which carried 
them across the continent, had provided berths with 
soft beds, white sheets and pillow cases and the men 
felt that on this trip they had been allowed to approach 
the status of respectable gentlemen. The berths, on the 
whole, had proved to be quite comfortable, though two 
men had been assigned to each lower and one man to 
each upper. After the first night or two, when the 
weather was unusually warm, they had been able to 
sleep well and their time had been spent quite pleas- 
antly. 

Each troop train had been provided with its 
kitchen car, where food was prepared and then served 
from buckets and pans, which were used by the K. Ps. 
in transferring food to the various coaches. The quality 
of food served was very good, considering the fact 
that it was field rations. The men had jolly good 
times serving and eating their meals, sitting beside 
open windows through which they watched the chang^ 
Ing scenery and threw wastage from their mess-kits. 
After each meal the kitchen police provided buckets of 
hot water in which mess utensils were washed and as 
soon as this task was completed normal car life had 
always been resumed. 

The chief source of entertainment during the trip 
had been afforded by pretty girls seen in each town 
passed, the men having made a point of talking to as 
many of them as possible. Many a lass gave her 
address to a soldier as he passed through her town, 
with the coy suggestion that she would be interested in 
knowing whether or not he safely arrived in France; 
and thousands of addresses of the soldiers had been 
left to these girls along the route. Exchanges of ad- 
dresses produced some highly laughable correspond- 
ence after the soldiers had arrived in France and 



46 Trail of the 61st 

many photographs found their way to interested 
parties on both sides of the Atlantic. 

The work of the Red Cross had been universal- 
ly pleasing to the soldiers; candy, cookies, coffee, 
nuts, fruits of all kinds, sandwiches and a thousand 
other kinds of sweets had been served at the vari- 
ous stops on the trip. Moreover, the men had re- 
ceived all of the cards they could mail to their home- 
folks, and there had always been plenty of willing 
hands to post the cards after they were written. 
When the Red Cross women could not take care of 
all of the mail the soldier boys handed to them, ac- 
commodating men and boys came to their rescue and 
accepted letters and cards to post. 

Every town or city entered by the troops had al- 
ways proved of interest. Someone had been at the 
station to welcome and to give a hearty God-speed 
to the boys on their way to the coast. The men felt 
grateful as well as pleased over the manner in which 
the American people along their route had greeted 
them, and many a man felt that he had been really ap- 
preciated for the first time in his life while on this trip, 
and since he was making a great sacrifice and had 
been torn by the emotions of leaving home and every- 
thing he considered dear, these manifestations had 
touched him more than they ordinarily would have 
done. 

The men appreciated having been acclaimed so 
freely and generously by the ''homefolks," on their 
way to embark for Europe and the battlefields, and 
in passing through the scenes of so many historic bat- 
tles of the Civil war their imaginations had been 
fired with the similarity of their positions and those 
of the world-famous veterans of the Civil war. In 



Bowie to Mills. 47 

spite of themselves, they felt that they were doing a 
great thing and it had pleased and satisfied their vanity 
to know that they were being "fussed over." 

During the trip the men had shown a capacity 
to make themselves com.fortable and reasonably hap- 
py even under unpleasant conditions, providing they 
were moving. This faculty was later demonstrated 
on many occasions, though it was always lost if they 
were forced to remain long in one place. They proved 
the oft quoted saying that "a soldier is never so happy 
as when he is moving and is never so unhappy as 
when he cannot move at all." 

The country had afforded the men much enter- 
tainment at first, but as the trip progressed and became 
more or less of a grind, they had become tired of look- 
ing at a new country and had turned to themselves for 
amusements. They had played cards, told stories and 
perpetrated many practical jokes upon one anotner uu 
break the monotony of the long, tiresome days. Then, 
too, many had provided themselves with books before 
leaving camp and these book-lovers had enjoyed long 
hours wath their authors, if so fortunate as to have 
secured works of their favorite writers. 

Reading had not been universal, by any means, but 
those who had enjoyed themselves in such manner had 
done so with little molestation. In this respect the 
soldiers had proved courteous, never having attempted 
to interfere with any man while he had endeavored 
to study or read. 

During th'j trip every man had become hoarse, 
for it had proved to be impossible to pass through 
wide-awake cheering towns without entering into the 
hilarity and good humor of the populace, who al- 
ways came out to see the boys pass through. A fel- 



48 Trail of the 61st 

low who had not participated in the merriment at this 
time had not been normal and one of the bunch — 
either too sorrowful over his home-leaving or a ''poor 
stick/' The fellows always commenced shouting as 
soon as a tov^n came in sight and had continued as 
long as any trace of the towns remained in view.. Like- 
wise, they had lost no opportunity in properly greet- 
ing all attractive maids whom they were so fortunate 
as to have seen along the route. The smiling, buxom 
negro maids had afforded much fun for the men, too, 
as they had never tired of joking these dusky southern 
belles. They had made love to all girls, both white 
and black, and because of their swift passage through 
the various towns, had not been particular to which 
kind they devoted their attentions. They had wanted 
a jolly time and had not been choice as to how they 
were to get it. 

The first part of the trip had not been so inter- 
esting to the men because they were more familiar 
with the topography of the country through which 
they had passed and also knew the type of people 
better there than they did farther east. However, 
after having passed the Mississippi river at Memphis, 
most of the men had seen the Old South for the first 
time and just as soon as they had turned north from 
Virginia and had begun to enter New England all had 
begun to see entirely new country and new methods of 
life. They had found to their surprise that the East, 
which they had always thought so up-to-date and 
modern, was in reality much more backwoodsy and 
unattractive than their home states. Of course, the 
big cities had produced a different effect by showing 
the men that they were entirely unacquainted vdth 
city life as it was lived in the East ; but they had soon 
observed that city life in the Southwest was infinitely 



Bowie to Mills. 49 

superior to that of the East. They had been greatly 
benefitted by this eye-opeiiing process and were 
thereby made so much better satisfied with the homes 
they had left in Texas and Oklahoma. The freedom 
and breadth of their home land impressed them as nev- 
er before, and when they had seen the congested con- 
ditions prevailing in the East they had felt that the 
free stretches of the Southwest, where they could 
ride for days and days and not come in contact with 
too much civilization, was much preferable to this con- 
gested country, where people were jammed and 
packed together. The mesquite and cactus of Mexico 
seemed more attractive to their disgusted eyes than 
the dingy, dirty streets and houses of these cities. 

Yet they realized that the East was to be their 
home for several days, until they could be pre- 
pared for overseas, and they had been keenly inter- 
ested in everything they saw there. They had noted 
the streets, houses, street cars, automobiles and all 
other things to be seen in an Eastern city, pledging 
themselves to become more familiar with these things 
before leaving for France. 

Hoboken had been unusually interesting to the 
men because it was here for the first time that they 
had seen the waters of New York harbor. The little, 
worn ferries, which had looked to these landsmen to 
be large and commodious, had been scrutinized with 
exceptional care for they had seen in them the first 
representation of water travel and had been anxious 
to get the feel of the water as the ferries glided 
through it. They had thought that the movement of 
the ferries would likely make them feel slightly sea- 
sick, few realizing at that time just how different 
was this little trip across the Sound to the long trip 
across the Atlantic. 



50 Trail of the 61st 

Long Island had been a surprise to almost every 
man in the Brigade, for all had expected to see a 
small island, probably covered almost exclusively by 
a camp, instead of a large stretch of rolling land, on 
which cities and towns had been built and between 
which trains and street cars passed with the usual 
city frequency. They had seen with surprise that 
they were to be loaded on trains and carried over 
several miles of country, about thirty miles, as they 
had later learned. Very little difference had been 
discerned between the buildings on the Long Island 
"side or the Jersey side, which caused the men 
to realize what Brooklyn meant in contradistinction 
to New York. They had always thought of New York 
as a city itself and not as being composed of Brook- 
lyn also, though, they had never before realized just 
what Brooklyn really was. 

It was with genuine surprise that the soldiers 
had made their trip across Long Island to Camp 
Mills, and their surprise had not been lessened one 
whit by the camp when they had arrived at it. They 
had had no idea at Bowie when talking about Camp 
Mills that it was such a large camp and on such a 
large island. 



III. 

CAMP MILLS 

By July 22 the entire Brigade was established at 
Camp Mills, the 111th Ammunition Train being the 
last unit to arrive. 

The Brigade was met here by Brig. Gen. John E. 
Stephens, who assumed command on July 20, Col. 
Arthur R. Sholars, being relieved as Brigade Com- 
mander and returned to duty with the 132d F. A. No 
change was made in the officer personnel of Brigade 
Headquarters, Major Wilton L. Rutan, being retained 
as Adjutant, assisted by 1st Lieut. B. E. Judson. 

The first acts of the soldiers after they had been 
assigned quarters and given freedom was to rush to 
the bath houses, where they removed the traces of 
their long trip across the continent. The bathing 
facilities at Camp Mills were very good but the men 
soon dreaded to get under the showers because of the 
cold water. No warm water was available, however, 
and they had to bathe in this cold water or not bathe 
at all. 

The first day or two in Camp Mills were spent in 
attempting to familiarize themselves with the Camp ; 
but after maMng several trips in various directions 
over it the men realized that their efforts along this 
line were proving futile, because of the tremendous 
size of the place and the short time they were to be 
stationed there. Bowie had seemed large to them but 
when they learned that there were probably 90,000 or 



(51) 



52 Trail of the Gist 

100,000 troops stationed at Mills they realized that 
this was one of the largest camps in the United States. 

While a tent camp, Mills differed considerably 
from Camp Bowie; its streets were broader, its tents 
large, the ground on which it was located was more 
level and its general arrangement was more com- 
pact and convenient. So many units passed through 
it every week that it was difficult to know where 
each unit was located, though by means of careful 
street numbering and the establishment of definite 
avenues of traffic, this difficulty was greatly reduced. 
The men soon learned that they must carefully follow 
map directions if they were to find their way about 
with any degi^ee of ease, though the camp was so 
large and so uniformly constructed that some became 
lost even when this care was exercised. 

A considerable amount of freedom was allowed 
troops passing through Camp Mills, but at no time 
was there permitted a relaxation of cleanliness. It is 
true that the men left Mills with the feeling that it 
was ?bout as dirty a camp as they had seen, but this 
attitude was the result of the great amount of sand and 
dust that constantly blew over the island. This could 
not be avoided, though every effort was made by 
camp authorities to counteract the conditions as much 
as possible; sprinklers were kept running constantly 
and most of the streets were oiled regularly. Where 
such a large number of men were assembled it was 
impossible to escape annoyance from the dust which 
accumulated in spite of all efforts to oppose it. 

Mills was quite happily located near many small 
towns and was only two hour's ride from New York 
City. The closeness of this great city provided sol- 
diers with entertainment, many people of New York 
driving out to Mills in automobiles each evening to 



Camp Mills. 



53 




COLONEL CLAUDE V. BIRKHEAD, 

Commander of 131st F. A. 
(See Appendix.) 



54 Trail of the 61st 

take the boys riding in the city. These rides were 
most enjoyable, and the men from the South were really 
,«?Vtrprised at such generous hospitality by the North- 
ern people, whom they had supposed to be so cold 
and undemonstrative. Nothing could have proved 
more conclusively that the old feelings of the Civil 
War were completely erased than just such acts on 
the part of citizens of New York City. 

At one end of the camp was located the Mineola 
Aviation Field and it was a common sight to see a 
number of planes circling over camp, doing many 
stunts and affording entertainment for the soldiers. 
In this respect the men of the 61st felt that Mills was 
more homelike, for at Bowie they had been accus- 
tomed to numbers of airplanes over their camp. The 
planes at Mills differed from those at Bowie, in size 
and shape, many of them being larger and some being 
seaplanes, which latter type the men had not seen be- 
fore. Moreover, it was noticeable that the planes 
here did most of their training in fighting formation, 
while at Bowie they flew about at random, appar- 
ently unaccustomed to any special formation. The 
aviators seemed to fly lower over the camp at Mills 
than at any other place where the 61st had been 
quartered; it was no unusual experience to be awak- 
ened in the early mornings by the loud purr of pow- 
erful motors as the pilots sailed over the tents at a 
height of fifty or seventy-five feet. Sometimes the 
men felt that the flyers took unnecessary chances, 
both for themselves and for the soldiers, by flying so 
close to the tents, but in most instances the stunts of 
the aviators appealed to the sporting instincts of the 
admiring onlookers who often burst forth into cheers 
for the daring and skill of the airmen. 



Camp Mills. 55 

Shortly after the arrival of all units of the 61st 
Brigade, overseas equipment was issued. The clothes 
the men had brought with them were turned in to the 
Camp Quartermaster in exchange for new equipment. 
To their surprise they were forced to exchange their 
khaki trousers and other summer clothes for heavy 
woolen clothing, the latter being required for overseas 
men. It was here, too, that they bade farewell to their 
service hats, which were supplanted by dinky little 
overseas caps. Likewise, canvas leggings had to give 
way to spiral puttees, and russet shoes were exchanged 
for heavy hob-nails. 

They were allowed to retain only one blanket, 
though it proved to be entirely insufficient to keep 
them warm at Camp Mills even at this time of year. 

Heavy underwear, one pair of gloves, four pairs 
of socks, an extra pair of hob-nail shoes, an overcoat 
and a raincoat, completed the chief items of their 
equipment. 

To these men who had been accustomed to the 
protection of broad brimmed service hats, the little 
overseas skull caps seemed anything but satisfactory, 
either bright sunshine or rain disclosing that they 
were in no sense a head protection. It took only a 
few days, however, for the men to become accus- 
tomed to their new headgear after which they would 
not have exchanged for the service hats if given the 
opportunity. 

When the soldiers received their first winter 
equipment, clothes were spread at random over most 
of the camp occupied by the Brigade, and Supply 
Sergeants were kept busy in seeing their men prop- 
erly equipped. Difficulty was encountered in securing 
proper sizes in clothes, many men being compelled to 



56 Trail of the 61st 

leave for France with ill-fitting uniforms and poorly 
supplied with other necessary apparel. For some 
reason, which has never been satisfactorily explained, 
the order to turn in all bedding except one bed-sack 
and blanket was received and the men, under protest, 
were forced to accept the ruling. 

They were assured, however, that the extra 
clothing they were turning in was to be placed in the 
holds of the vessels on which they were to sail and 
that it would be reissued to them when they arrived 
in France. History records that what really hap- 
pened was as follows : The clothes were placed in the 
holds of the ships, but upon arrival in France were 
issued to men going to the Front and the m.en of the 
61st never saw them again. Even woolens, w^hether 
issued by the Red Cross or received as presents, were 
taken up and many men saw nothing further of them, 
though after they arrived in France considerable 
grumbling resulted from this injustice. 

Especial instructions were issued to all men about 
the personal property they were to be allowed to take 
over with them, in almost every instance the advice 
being that not a thing foreign to the absolute allow- 
ance from the Q. M. could possibly **get by." Several 
of the bolder spirits refused to harken to this advice 
and maneuvered to keep their stuff with them. Some 
used special boxes which they painted in military 
colors and labeled in such a way as to alleviate sus- 
picion on the part of the supposedly vigilant embark- 
ation officials and others boldly rolled their valuables 
in their packs and trusted to luck to get them past the 
authorities when they were being loaded on the ships. 
All of these free spirits were successful in taking 
their property with them, for instead of finding it 
difficult to get material aboard ships at the docks, the 



Camp Mills. 57 

men found that they could have taken almost any- 
thing with them. Both officers and men alike were 
badly fooled in this respect and promised to remem- 
ber how they had been hoodwinked, when they started 
home. It is a matter of record, however, that most of 
them were so afraid of doing something that would 
serve to hold them longer in France that upon re- 
ceiving orders to embark for home they were unwill- 
ing to attempt the carrying of questionable property 
aboard with them. 

But most men were willing to accept any restric- 
tions in order to get overseas, for they realized that 
military rules were necessary in the handling of great 
numbers of men at the ports of embarkation. They 
subjected themselves to more inconvenience in the 
army than in any other place, because they had little 
voice in their own control and were also unwilling to 
hinder in any way the carrying forward of the main 
work of the army. This was especially true where 
the men were in sympathy with the activities of the 
nation and were desirous of doing all within their 
power to see the war fought to a successful conclusion. 

During the war the army was made into a great 
heartless machine, but there was not a man in it 
who felt that it could be otherwise, since he 
realized that only by means of such an organization 
could our nation successfully carry on its part of the 
war. 

Life in Mills while not very strenuous was con- 
fining, for all men had to remain in their quarters 
ready to be called out at any time orders were issued 
for special duty to be performed by them. They 
were inspected regularly every day, both for disease 
and for lice, and a portion of every day was spent in 



58 



Trail of the 61st 




LT. COLONEL STEVENSON, 

Commander of 111th Ammunition Train. 

(See Appendix.) 



Camp Mills. 59 

drill. Also, substantial details were furnished daily 
to the camp authorities to assist in routine duties 
of the camp. 

Whenever opportunity permitted, and in many 
instances when it did not permit, the men went to 
New York City. The commanding officers cf most 
units showed a proper spirit of helpfulness by doing 
all they could to assist their men in visiting New York 
City. Many passes were issued and practically all of 
the men in the Brigade saw New York before leaving 
Mills. 

The City proved a revelation to the Southerners, 
for a great many of them before entering the army, 
had spent their lives on farms, and were entirely un- 
familiar with city life, especially the type of life dis- 
played in a city like New York. Very few of them 
had been East before and all were eager to spend as 
much time as possible in the great City. 

Those who did visit New York threaded the busy 
streets, taking in the sights of Fifth Avenue and 
Broadway, names almost as familiar to them as street 
names in their home towns. Everything they saw 
interested them; the magnificent automobiles speed- 
ing along the thoroughfares, the great street cars, 
packed and jammed at all times, people of all descrip- 
tions from the poorest beggars to the most richly 
dressed inhabitants of Wall Street, the window dis- 
plays, theaters, subways and thousands of other 
things, all fired their imagination and gave them a 
sense of bewildering exhilaration over being in the 
heart of the nation's metropolis. 

The soldier arriving in New York City with a 
pass in his pocket and money to spend was indeed 
fortunate, for he had the whole world before him. He 



60 Trail of the 61st 

could attend a metropolitan show; he could go riding 
in one of the city's wonderfully equipped automobiles ; 
or if he so desired he could go to the parks or botani- 
cal gardens — the city afforded him opportunity to 
entertain himself in any way he chose. His time 
was all his own, his money was good and he could 
get all possible enjoyment out of life before embark- 
ing for France. To say that he enjoyed himself is 
trite ; he did much more : he had the time of his life. 

It is surprising how the men from prohibition 
states restrained themselves in New York City. Of 
course, they realized that in case they became intoxi- 
cated it would be next to impossible for them to find 
their way back to camp, and to fail to return to camp 
was suicidal, yet many men, placed as they were, 
would have been unable to control their appetites and 
would have become drunk regardless of the conse- 
quences. There was some drunkenness, of course, for 
in every group of men, wherever assembled, there are 
always some who are unable to control themselves. 

New York was not the only point of interest vis- 
ited by the soldiers of the 61st; Coney Island, At- 
lantic City, Hoboken, and the many little towns ad- 
jacent to Camp Mills, engaged the attention of the 
men. There were ample places for the soldiers to visit 
providing they had the freedom and money to do so. 

Coney Island seemed to appeal to the soldiers 
more than any of the other pleasure spots, and hosts 
of men from the camp "took it in" every night. These 
men returned each morning with most marvelous tales 
about the wonderful things they had seen at Coney 
Island, and they discussed the boat rides they had 
taken, the sensations afforded by the "ocean waves," 
how exciting had been their trips in the giant Ferris 
wheel, and so on, until men who had not been there 



Camp Mills. 61 

swore that if opportunity presented itself they would 
surely see that wonderful place. 

The same sentiment prevailed with regard to 
Atlantic City, where bathing enthusiasts were given 
the pleasure of taking dips in the ocean. Men went 
to Atlantic City in hordes and it seemed to be the 
universal opinion among them that such another 
wonderful amusement spot could not be found on 
the globe. 

To the soldiers so unfortunate as not to be al- 
lowed to leave camp or who because of lack of funds 
could not visit any of the noted pleasure resorts, 
Hempstead, Jamaica and Mineola offered opportuni- 
ties to get away from camp for a few hours and to 
enjoy the atmosphere of town. These little towns were 
visited by thousands, who literally overran them, buy- 
ing soft drinks, attending shows and otherwise spend- 
ing their time en joy ably. 

Adjacent to the camp were located a number of 
stores and eating places, where the soldiers could buy 
little articles of clothing and such food as they de- 
sired, but the prices charged by the keepers of these 
places were so exorbitant that the soldiers felt they 
were being robbed everytime they did any trading 
there. Regardless of this condition, however, they 
thronged these spots each evening in truly enormous 
crowds. 

The camp also afforded ample means of enter- 
tainment, some of the theaters and Y. M. C. A. huts 
comparing favorably with the more costly play houses 
in the towns. The builders of Mills had seen to it 
that nothing was left undone to make the camp com- 
plete for soldiers who passed through enroute to 
Europe, and the men left the United States feeling 



62 Trail of the 61st 

that they had been very pleasantly treated during 
their last few days in the country. It seemed that the 
camp authorities had caught the vision of the soldiers 
as they made final preparations for their work over- 
seas and had realized how a fellow must feel during 
the last few days before leaving his home country, for 
Camp Mills provided especially for the comfort of 
both his body and mind. 

While entertainment was the prime motive of 
most of the visiting in New York City, Coney Island 
and other noted pleasure spots, many of the men 
realized that they were having the opportunity of a 
life-time in being allowed to acquaint themselves vnth 
the East and to secure first hand information about 
it. They felt that in all likelihood this would be their 
only opportunity to learn about this part of the 
United States and they desired to utilize their oppor- 
tunity to the fullest extent. Their entertainment was 
of the right sort, for not only did they have good 
times, enjoying themselves as fully as the fellows 
who were out for a good time only, but they also made 
their entertainment a matter of business and derived 
much benefit from it. 

These men were not content to see Fifth Avenue 
and Broadway only, but they secured automobiles and 
drove over the city; they visited the great libraries; 
they went to see the Botanical Gardens and great 
zoos; they became acquainted with the subway sys- 
tem, not merely as riders but also as persons inter- 
ested in knowing its ramifications, size and general 
usefulness; they attended some good plays and musi- 
cal numbers ; they lunched in some of the noted cafes ; 
in fine, they did all they could to learn as much as 
possible about New York City. 



Camp Mills. 63 

While in Mills the men spent so much money 
that by the time they left for France very few had 
any funds to spend on the voyage. This fact mili- 
tated against them in many ways while they were en- 
route to Europe and many a man wished he had not 
been so free with his money while visiting "Little Old 
Noo York." 

After the men had been at Camp Mills for five 
or six days they began to grow restless for embark- 
ation orders; rumors again became prevalent and the 
men were deluged with all kinds of reports. But it 
was not until July 29 that orders were received start- 
ing them on their long expected voyage. 

At four o'clock on the morning of the 29th the 
soldiers of the Brigade, under full pack and thor- 
oughly equipped for overseas duty, commenced filing 
out of camp to the trains which were waiting to trans- 
fer them over Long Island, to the transport docks. 
Being quickly loaded on these trains they were hauled 
the thirty miles to the docks and loaded on ferry boats 
which took them to the Jersey shore. Here they 
were arranged according to carefully prepared pass- 
enger lists, which had been in the hands of the port 
authorities for several days awaiting their arrival, 
and were immediately marched to the piers, along- 
side of which lay the great transports which were to 
carry them to France. 

While waiting for the opportunity of going 
aboard the ships, the men were treated to cookies, 
coffee, tobacco and "safe arrival" post cards by Red 
Cross women. This was their first real experience 
with the Red Cross but proved to be only an intro- 
duction to the many kindnesses they were to receive 
from that splendid organization. 



64 Trail of the 61st 

Aside from the time occupied with the Red Cross 
in receiving gifts — chiefly food, which the soldiers 
spent some time in the enjoyment of eating — ^the men 
passed several hours of unpleasant waiting on the 
piers. As soon as they were unloaded from the fer- 
ries, they were formed in columns, care being devoted 
to the proper location of each man so that he would 
appear in his place when his name was called from 
the passenger lists, and they were started toward 
the ships. Progress was very slow here, however, 
due to the large number of troops being taken aboard 
the liners, and the men had to be satisfied with a 
snail's pace. Heavy packs were shifted from floor to 
shoulders and from shoulders to floor so many times 
that the men became very weary, especially since no 
man was allowed to sit down even for a moment, the 
officers not knowing when their units would be or- 
dered to embark and therefore were more or less nerv- 
ous and hard on their men. Moreover, the men had 
to move so often they could not get settled even a mom- 
ent until required to move forward a few more inches, 
every inch of space in the piers being utilized. 

They were constantly reminded by their offl'cers 
to be careful when their time came to pass the Em- 
barkation Officers, for if they did not respond prop- 
erly to their names when called they would not be 
allowed to embark but would be returned to Camp 
Mills and later sent over to France with a casual out- 
fit. This possibility was sufficient within itself to 
cause the men to be careful, for every man realized 
what it would mean to be separated from his com- 
rades and placed in a casual group, and this, com- 
bined with their intense desire to get to France and 
participate in the war, made them as docile as 
lambs. Every man religiously complied with the 



Camp Mills, 65 

orders of his officers and was ^'Johnny on the spot" 
when his name was called. 

While being ferried from Long Island to Ho- 
boken, the troops had noted with interest the many 
ocean liners docked at the various piers, but their 
attention was directed especially to one giant ship, 
which so towered above all the others as to make it 
conspicuous. Word was passed along the line that 
this was the Leviathan, the old Vaterland, which had 
been taken from the Germans at the beginning of the 
war. They looked at this ship with awe hoping they 
would be fortunate enough to embark upon her. They 
knew her record — ^how she had been able to defy the 
many German submarines that had attempted to sink 
her on her various trips across the Atlantic and that 
her commander had refused to bother with convoys, 
since the speed of his ship was so great that no convoy- 
ing ship could keep pace with her. In fact, it was in 
the Leviathan's speed alone that the naval authorities 
depended for her safe threading of the dangerous Eu- 
ropean waters. 

When final orders came and each unit of troops 
had safely passed the embarkation officers, the men 
made it their first duty to ascertain the name of the 
ship they had boarded, all except the 111th Trench 
Mortar Battery being disappointed in their hopes of 
being placed on the Leviathan. The Brigade was di- 
vided among the three ships, U. S. S. Siboney, U. S. 
S. Calamares and U. S. S. Orizaba. 

The men were quartered in small areas in each 
ship and were therefore greatly congested, the bunks 
they occupied being iron frames about three feet by 
six feet, over which heavy canvas was stretched, ar- 
ranged in tiers of three each, the tiers being placed 



66 Trail of the 61st 

in such manner that two men slept practically side by- 
side, divided only by the central iron bar which 
formed the inner frame of the bunks. These tiers of 
double bunks ran lengthwise of each deck, normally 
from five to ten of them, separated by narrow aisles, 
filling each deck. When the size of these sleeping 
decks, each of which was about forty feet wide by 
three hundred feet long, accommodating eight or ten 
triple decked double tiers extending the full three 
hundred feet in length, is taken into consideration it 
can be realized what a large number of troops were 
thrown together in each little space. 

The soldiers were allowed to come up on deck 
and walk about but none were allowed to leave the 
ships during the fifty-two hours in which the loaded 
ships lay in the harbor, and they became thoroughly 
familiar with their surroundings and learned for the 
first time how a ship was constructed and what a ^ 
huge task it was to keep it in a spick and span con- 
dition. The sailors were also interesting studies, 
though the military men stood in considerable awe of 
their naval brothers. Certain places were roped off 
on each deck and the soldiers soon learned to keep 
away from them, as they were sacred to the sailors. 

Before sailing the men became thoroughly tired 
and wondered when they were ever to get started on 
their ocean voyage. They prayed for an early depart- 
ure, and their prayers were finally answered by a tardy 
departure on the second day after they went aboard 
the ships. 



IV. 

THE VOYAGE TO FRANCE 

About two o'clock on the afternoon of July 31st, 
1918, sailing orders were received by the five ships 
comprising the convoy which was to carry the 61st 
Field Artillery to France. Men on the ships had been 
expecting the order for several hours but did not 
know it had been given until they saw harbor tug 
boats come along-side the ocean liners to attach haw- 
sers with which to tow the big ships from the docks. 
Every movement of the tugs was watched with the 
keenest interest and though the soldiers were ordered 
to show no demonstrations of excitement they swarmed 
over the decks and hung over the rails to see every- 
thing that was being done in this great adventure of 
theirs. 

The tug boats, after having attached hawsers to 
iron pillars on the decks of the ships, ;5tarted gently 
toward the channel of the harbor and the great ships, 
quivering and trembling, were gradually drawn away 
from the docks until they settled down into the water 
of the channel. 

Except for the fact that they had just witnessed 
the work of the tugs and could see the water of the 
harbor apparently floating slowly past the sides of 
their vessels the soldiers would have been unable to 
know that the big vessels were moving. They settled 
so gradually into the water and cut through it with 
such ease that it seemed to the inexperienced land- 
men that an ocean voyage certainly could not be as 

(67) 



68 Trail of the 61st 

disagreeable as they had always been led to believe. 
They said to themselves that ships as large as the 
ones they were on, which took to the water in the 
natural way they did, certainly could not be bothered 
much by ordinary ocean waves. 

These thoughts passed fleetingly through their 
minds while the vessels were moving toward the har- 
bor channel and were being adjusted to make way 
under their own steam. But after the liners had 
gotten well under way and had sailed majestically up 
the harbor, past Staten Island, where the Statue of 
Liberty had seemed to smile a last farewell, the pre- 
liminary excitement subsided and the seriousness of 
v/hat they were undertaking occupied the thoughts of 
many. They realized that their past was probably 
forever cut from them, that the established landmarks 
of their lives were slowly passing from their vision; 
they understood, for the first time since they had been 
in the service, that they were starting on a long, 
dangerous journey over three thousand miles of sea, 
protected only by the two battle cruisers and one sub- 
marine chaser which formed part of the convoy. 

In passing the Statue of Liberty the men seemed 
deeply touched, for months afterwards, while under- 
going many hardships in France, they often referred 
to the Statue of Liberty and seemed to have retained 
a vivid impression of this wonderful guardian of New 
York harbor. A great number waved actual adieus 
to Miss Liberty, but whether or not any demonstra- 
tions were made by individuals, she was the center 
of interest for all on board the ocean bound ships. 

The convoy, composed of five troop ships, two 
battle cruisers and one submarine chaser, left Ho- 
boken under the guidance of a pilot cutter which led 
the convoy out into the harbor until about dusk, dur- 



The Voyage to France. 69 

ing which time the point of Long Island was rounded. 

Brigade Headquarters Detachment and the 131st 
Regiment sailed on the U. S. S. Siboney. The 132nd 
Regiment and the 111th Ammunition Train were 
aboard the U. S. S. Orizaba. The 133rd Regiment 
sailed on the U. S. S. Calamares. The 111th Trench 
Motor Battery did not embark with this convoy, but 
sailed three days later on the U. S. S. Leviathan. 

During the time they had been aboard their ships 
in the harbor the men of the 61st had become more 
or less accustomed to their quarters and to ship life, 
but shortly after the voyage was started they quickly 
learned that the sailor in harbor was a creature much 
different from the sailor at sea. 

They saw to their surprise that the sailors were 
busily occupied all hours of the day and night with their 
work and it early became evident that the naval men 
were not too thoughtful of their military guests. When 
naval officers ordered, the soldiers learned to obey, al- 
most as promptly as the sailors did, and they were as- 
sisted in this education by petty officers and burly 
sailors, who willingly interpreted the orders for the 
soldiers. 

Moreover, the difference between the food that 
was served to the sailors and that served to the soldiers 
impressed the soldiers with the importance of the naval 
men, and the result was that they tried to ingratiate 
themselves into the good graces of the middies. They 
found to their sorrow, however, that there was noth- 
ing sympathetic or philanthropic about the hard-heart- 
eo sailors, who apparently took delight in keeping the 
soldiers away from the naval dining rooms and drink- 
ing places and refused even to be approached unless 
they were paid for their trouble. 



70 Trail of the 61st 

The soldiers were amazed at the wholesale trans- 
fer of government property between the sailors and 
gullible soldiers. But even the most virtuous and 
shocked waived their conscientious scruples and pray- 
erfully appealed to the sailors for food, regardless of 
the price they were forced to pay or of the manner in 
which the food was procured, before they finished the 
voyage. Their starved condition made them willing 
to do almost anything to get food. 

The soldiers kept practically all passageways 
choked because of their moving about on the ships and 
when petty officers appeared on deck it became custo- 
mary for them to yell "gangway, for a petty officer." 
This became so frequent as to be finally adopted as a 
military figure of speech which later was used fre- 
quently after the soldiers arrived in France. 

The center of interest for the first few hours at sea 
was the ever-changing, mysterious ocean and the new 
and elating sensation of being on water. No thought of 
danger was in the minds of the men while they were 
in home waters, for the convoy sailed down the At- 
lantic coast within a few miles of land. 

The heat was noticeable even in New York har- 
bor but as the ships moved down the coast toward the 
south it became intensely oppressive and the men 
kept to the decks as much as possible. They were as- 
sembled on the decks the first evening to receive 
orders about ship regulations and to locate their 
places for abandon ship drill and deck exercises, and 
as nearly as possible remained there during the 
voyage. 

In New York harbor the serving of meals had not 
been disagreeable to the soldiers, though the quality 
of the food served and the manner of serving it 



The Voyage to France. 71 

scarcely appealed to their appetites. But, upon going 
below at 8 o'clock to mess on the first evening out the 
men realized that what had seemed poor food in New 
York harbor was most excellent in comparison with 
what they were to be served while at sea. 

The mess halls were large rooms in the hold of 
the ships and the men mere herded into them like 
hogs and cattle. The food was served by Kitchen Po- 
lice selected from the soldiers, and was made up 
chiefly of evil tasting slum, potatoes with the jackets 
on and occasionally an extra vegetable or two, all 
served together in a mess kit in sparing quantities. 
Long narrow food troughs, which were built to about 
the height of a man's waist, were placed so close to- 
gether in the mess halls that the passage ways be- 
tween them were incapable of accommodating two 
men back to back and those who ate were forced to 
sandwich themselves into the limited space as satis- 
factorily as possible. 

To the rear of the mess halls were stationed nar- 
row galvanized troughs in which boiling water was 
constantly running from pipes. As the men finished 
their meals they were supposed to wash their mess 
kits in the hot water of these troughs and to file out 
of the mess halls, returning to their quarters. 

Meal tickets, printed in such a manner that they 
contained places to be punched for three meals each 
day, were issued to the soldiers shortly after they 
came aboard their ships and it was required that 
every man present his ticket to a mess officer at the 
door of his mess hall, at each meal, and have it prop- 
erly punched before being allowed to enter. This 
system proved to be the worst sort of inconvenience, 
the facilities for serving meals being so inadequate 



72 Trail of the 61st 

that it took two or three hours to get all the troops 
served, and experience soon taught the men that "first 
come first served." As a result lines were formed in 
the passage ways of the ships leading to the mess halls 
often an hour or two before the time scheduled for 
meals. The congestion caused by this jamming, 
coupled with the close living quarters, caused the men 
to become hot before reaching the mess halls and 
when they did finally arrive they were confronted 
with hot steam from the washing troughs and such 
foul odors from poorly cooked and unappetizing food 
that their appetities were ruined. 

Even if a man entered the mess hall with a keen 
appetite he was indeed fortunate to succeed in get- 
ing past the serving stand in safety; but in case he 
was so fortunate and did retain his food and his appe- 
tite, he was disappointed, for either a considerable 
amount of the food served to him was impossible to 
eat or it was served in such small quantities that it 
failed to satisfy his hunger. Yet he dare not attempt 
to secure a second serving, for stern, pity-proof offi- 
cers were planted at advantageous points in the mess 
hall to see that he didn't receive an extra amount of 
food. But regardless of all the precautionary meth- 
ods used by officers of the mess hall, many men car- 
ried their drying cloths with them and after having 
washed their mess kits covertly dried them and 
slipped into line between two good-natured fellows, 
thereby reaching the serving posts a second time. 

During the first day or two, however, there was 
not the bustle in the mess halls or the clamor for food as 
just described ; on the contrary these halls were prac- 
tically abandoned, the place of chief interest being 
the rails on deck. Many soldiers, upon leaving New 
York harbor, laughed at the possibility of becoming 



The Voyage to France. 73 

sea-sick, as the ships glided so smoothly through the 
water that they could not understand how such a thing 
could be possible; but after they had eaten their first 
six o'clock meal at sea these stalwart gentlemen were 
to be found on deck "enjoying the evening sea 
breezes." A marked change was noticeable in them: 
If one had been especially vivacious and possibly a 
bit boisterous up to this time he was seen to be either 
leaning over the rail gazing into the briny waters 
with a pensive expression 'in his eyes and as the boys 
called it, "sort of white about the gills." Or he 
might be seen sitting stiffly upon some part of the 
deck, gazing straight before him, with a set expres- 
sion on his face and his complexion turned to a pe- 
culiar, sallow paleness. In either instance if you ap- 
proached him "to inquire about the weather" he 
would reward you with a smile or a sheepish grin, 
and perchance, if the spirit was heavy upon him, he 
might thrust you roughly aside and make a dash for 
the rail, shouting as he ran, "make way for me," 
"gangway," or "let me through," after which he 
would do his full duty to the kind fishes who were 
waiting below. 

Sea-sickness became so universal on the first eve- 
ning that rail space on the deck became entirely inade- 
quate and conditions aboard ships were far from de- 
sirable. The situation would not have been so bad 
had the men been less congested but as the ships were 
loaded to their utmost capacity every little space was 
fully utilized. 

Most of the men were able to overcome their sea- 
sickness by the morning of the second day out and 
soldier life became practically settled by this time. 
The men learned their surroundings, the novelty of 



74 Trail of the 61st 

the voyage wore off and the dangers of their position 
again recurred to them. 

From the moment of boarding his ship, each man 
was instructed to observe every precaution while on 
the voyage, for it was pointed out to him that any 
little slip might result in the sinking of one or more 
ships of the convoy by German submarines. No 
smoking was allowed on decks after dark; no lights 
were permitted in the ship except in such spots as 
were protected from outside view; and if the men 
wanted to smoke during the evening they could do so 
only in the wash rooms and toilets, where their lighted 
cigarettes could not be seen. 

A definite drill schedule was quickly established, 
and the soldiers were required to strictly comply 
with it. Each evening before retiring all organiza- 
tions were formed on their proper decks for abandon 
ship drill. Each morning, early, this same drill was 
repeated, the men being called on deck for this pur- 
pose during the first part of the voyage, at five o'clock 
a. m. They were called earlier and earlier each 
morning until by the time they had reached the dan- 
ger zone in European waters they were being called 
at half past two and three o'clock. But regardless of 
how early they arose each morning, the men were 
always held in formation on deck until after sunrise 
and the signal had been received that everything was 
safe for that morning. 

It was understood by all that in case the ships 
were attacked by submarines an alarm would be 
sounded by ship sirens, at which time every man was 
to take his place on deck. When the danger had 
passed the whistle of some designated ship was to be 
blown in a series of five short blasts. 



The Voyage to France, 75 

At all hours of the day and night a submarine 
watch, composed of soldiers, was stationed at vantage 
points on the gunner's deck. Each man who served 
as a submarine guard did so twice a day for periods 
of one hour each. His post consisted of a definite 
amount of ocean, as measured by an appropriate 
amount of rail space, and he was held responsible to 
see that no submarine or anything of suspicious char- 
acter appeared in his water without his turning in 
the proper alarm for it. The responsibility upon 
the submarine guard was so great that contrary 
to all ordinary military regulations a soldier on guard 
was instructed to intently watch his space of ocean 
and not to face an officer to salute when questioned or 
approached by one. He was ordered to stand at at- 
tention whenever the officer approached his post but 
his courtesy to the officer ended there. 

Though the men realized the responsibility rest- 
ing upon them while they were on watch for subma- 
rines, the two hours each day spent on guard were 
among the most enjoyable of the trip. Placed where 
the ocean breezes had full play upon them and re- 
ceiving frequent sprays of salt water in their faces, 
they felt a bouyancy and vigor that more than re- 
paid them for their strenuous, tireless gazing at the 
constantly moving water. 

The greatest strain upon the men was that oc- 
casioned by their intent gaze at the bright water. 
The eyes always became tired enough to smart and 
burn, for the attempt to steadily gaze at a consider- 
able amount of the ocean in an effort to catch even the 
faintest signs of matter on the water, and the determi- 
nation to be constantly on the alert, strained their 
vision to utmost capacity. The men tried to see every- 
thing that passed before them, for they realized that 



76 Trail of the 61st 

an oversight on their part might mean the destruction 
of a transport and the loss of many lives. 

After leaving New York harbor, the convoy- 
cruised down the Atlantic coast until it reached Nor- 
folk, at which point it was joined by four transports 
and two submarine chasers, these ships increasing the 
size of the convoy to nine transports, two battle cruis- 
ers and three submarine chasers. It then proceeded 
down the coast a short distance and put out to high 
seas, following the southern route to France. 

The men from Texas and Oklahoma had learned 
in camp of the capacity of soldiers to create and set 
afloat rumors of all . possible descriptions but they 
found to their surprise that they were only appren- 
tices in this gentle art when compared with sailors. 
More rumors were "uncorked" on the unsuspecting 
and credulous soldiers during the first day or two they 
were aboard ship than they had heard in double that 
space of time in their palmiest days at Camp Bowie 
They heard all sorts of rumors about the length of 
time the convoy would be on the water, some saying 
six days and some sixteen days, according to the 
optimism of the individual who was producing the in- 
formation. Also they were edified by sailors who 
obligingly recounted the numerous naval experiences 
which the gallant crews of their ships had experienced 
in previous voyages across the Atlantic. 

To hear some gifted sailor relate his experiences 
during the time he had been in the naval service of 
the United States was to convince the soldier that he 
had made a serious mistake in joining the army; but 
as the soldier became better acquainted with the 
sailor and saw his life of drudgery on the big ships 
he felt better satisfied over his own lot. . 



The Voyage to France. 77 

One of the most attractive features of the voyage 
v^as the entertainment furnished by flying fish. These 
little creatures, apparently about six inches in length 
and with a v^ing spread of four or five inches, 
emerged from the waves with the velocity of cata- 
pults, their tails lashing the water with such speed and 
lorce that they were projected clear of the ocean's 
surface for a speedy sail over the water until the 
crest of another smaller wave was touched and they 
were able to secure another flight or to enter the water 
and vanish from sight. 

For several hours after the first flying fish were 
observed it was common opinion that they were birds, 
for they skimmed over the water with such apparent 
ease and speed that the boys felt sure nothing but 
birds could pass through the air in such a manner. 
And they did look like birds, especially resembling 
swallows. 

The men were also interested in watching for 
big fish, though they were disappointed in not seeing 
any whales or sharks, the only large fish observed be- 
ing porpoise, which were often seen in considerable 
numbers. It was astonishing how these clumsy look- 
ing fish swam so rapidly through the water, but they 
were able easily to keep abreast of the ships though 
the liners made a speed of twenty miles an hour. 

For a distance of about three hundred miles the 
ships were accompanied by sea gulls, the majority of 
these birds being of the medium-sized, white variety 
which never tired in their flight and were to be seen 
at all hours of the day and night wheeling and turn- 
ing up and down over the waters and about the ships. 
Occasionally, after the liners had gotten farther out 
at sea, a huge black gull could be seen wending his 



78 Trail of the 61st 

solitary way across the waters, apparently not inter- 
ested in the course he followed or the destination he 
was to reach. These big birds remained in sight of 
the ships until they were possibly five hundred miles 
from the coast. 

But regardless of other sources of interest, the 
ocean proved to be the chief interest to the soldier. 
The constantly moving, vast expanse of water, the 
restless and seemingly uncontrollable waves as they 
struggled with each other, striking and recoiling, 
forming giant fans of spray, tossed high to the heav- 
ens, with deep valleys between, — the whole presenting 
a kaleidoscopic picture of rare grandeur and beauty, 
appealed strangely to his half-heathen self. Regard- 
less of how he felt or of his state of mind the ocean 
remained a constant and intensely interesting study 
to him. He sat on deck and watched it by the hour 
during the days, and in the evenings, while on deck 
to get a bit of fresh air before going below to his 
hole in crowded quarters, he was entertained by the 
phosphorescent gleams of the water as the ship cut 
the great billowy waves and tossed them aside 
from her path. Myriads of these little, radiantly 
changeable lights could be seen close to the sides of 
the ship at almost any time during the night, if he 
was willing to look carefully for them. 

The ocean was interesting at all times, but it con- 
tained an all-absorbing interest when lashed into fury 
by high winds. During such times, when the wind was 
blowing at the rate of from forty to seventy miles an 
hour and waves forty or fifty feet high confronted the 
ships, conditions were bad for the men and life on 
the transports was quite unpleasant. If the ships 
happened to be running at right angles to the waves, 
sailing conditions were fairly good, the ships only 



The Voyage to France, 79 

dipping and rising with the rise and swell of the 
water, but in case they struck the waves diagonally, 
the men aboard experienced unusual and highly un- 
pleasant sensations. The movement of the vessels 
combined a rolling rotary motion with a falling and 
rising one that aroused such protest in all stomachs 
that it became difficult for the men to maintain either 
their equilibrium or their food. At such times it was 
difficult to walk about on the decks and especially to 
eat food, for attempts by the men to brace themselves to 
meet the quick changes in the motion of the ships were 
often retarded by their being thrown off their balances 
through movements entirely different from the ones 
they had anticipated. Then too, they never knew 
just when a giant wave would come along and sweep 
ever deck, giving them a thorough wetting and wash- 
ing them against the rails where they had to exer- 
cise care and agility in escaping from being washed 
overboard. 

From the time the convoy left American waters 
it was led by a battle cruiser; the various convoys 
were so grouped that they could be within close 
touch of each other, and in formation "^OTne- 
what diamond shaped. To the rear of the convoy 
was the second cruiser; and on both flanks were 
submarine chasers, which darted in and out among 
the ships with such ease and speed as to earn 
the f'obriquets of "the greyhounds of the sea." The 
soldiers marveled at the construction and appear- 
ance of the submarine chasers, being influenced, oT 
course, by the fact that the safety of the convoy 
rested largely with these long, slender, little fighting 
crafts which sank so deeply into the water that they 
showed only a few feet of deck space above the 
surface. 



80 Trail of the 61st 

One noticeable feature of the sailing was the ir- 
regular manner in which the ships in the convoy 
varied from their course, leaving in their wake zig-zag 
paths of disturbed waters, and yet were able to main- 
tain their relative positions and distances. 

When the convoy had reached a distance of about 
five hundred miles at sea, one cruiser and two sub- 
marine chasers returned to America, leaving one 
cruiser and one chaser as protectors of the 
ships. These two vessels continued with the convoy 
throughout its voyage, arriving with it in the harbor 
at Brest; and at all times during the voyage the gray 
hulk of the cruiser was to be seen leading the way 
across the Atlantic while the chaser divided its time 
in running in and out and around and about the 
transports. 

On the evening of August 10th at about five 
o'clock in the afternoon a sail-boat was observed on 
the port side of the convoy, and within a short time 
she came into full view. She was signalled by the 
battle cruiser which after considerable communica- 
tion allowed her to go on her way. While this 
parley was taking place the men on the trans- 
ports thronged the decks in an attempt to learn the 
identity of the sail boat and to ascertain whether or 
not she was friendly or hostile; but when she was 
seen to pass on unmolested they soon forgot the in- 
cident. 

Their attention was again called to the sail-boat, 
however, when about sundown the cruiser and sub- 
chaser reversed their course, taking the same direc- 
tion as that followed by the sail-boat at the time it 
passed from view. Conjecture concerning the mis- 
sion of the cruiser and chaser ran wild but it soon be- 
came common belief that they had secured some in- 



The Voyage to France. 81 

formation leading them to believe the sailboat had not 
revealed her true identity and they had therefore 
gone back to investigate. 

When the men arose the next morning the cruiser 
and chaser were again back in their accustomed 
places in the convoy and the rumors of the previous 
evening seemed to lose their significance; but within 
a short time it was learned that the sailboat had been 
overtaken during the night, and captured by the 
cruiser and the crew taken off as prisoners, the boat 
having proved to have been a German oil boat used 
as a submarine filling station. It was understood 
that after the cruiser and the chaser had taken over 
as much oil as their facilities allowed, the sailboat 
was sunk. None of these rumors were confirmed 
though practically all of the men in the brigade be- 
lieved them to be true. 

The morning of August 11th proved to be an 
eventful one, for early in the day a large convoy of 
submarine chasers, fifteen in all, joined the convoy 
and word was passed among the men that they 
were entering the most dangerous waters in the ocean, 
for the last few hours having been in the Bay of 
Biscay. 

The chasers arrived none too soon, for shortly 
after 8 o'clock, while the men on the various ships 
were in line for breakfast, sirens from all the ships 
immediately sounded a warning and sharp, clear 
orders were issued to the soldiers to take their places 
promptly on deck, wearing full equipment and life- 
savers. It was reported that a number of German sub- 
marines were attacking the convoy. 

When the danger signals commenced blowing the 
men were in mess line and most of them wore only 



82 Trail of the 61st 

their uniforms and life savers; many were without 
blouses and had their shoes unlaced. They had been 
called by the danger sirens so many times for drill that 
they paid little heed to the signal until their officers 
appeared in the doorways and commenced to issue 
sharp orders to "stand by with full equipment and life 
savers on," and the big guns began to bark. Then the 
atmosphere changed and the whole brigade "went 
into action." Messkits were thrown on bunks, over- 
coats were jerked into place, shoes were laced, 
life savers were made secure and the men quickly 
stood by their bunks for further orders. They had 
only a minute or two to wait, for their officers sharply 
ordered them on deck, and they moved forward rapid- 
ly to their respective posts. 

They realized at this time just what the days and 
days of training as soldiers meant to them and how im- 
portant had been the carefully planned Abandon Ship 
Drill they had been forced to attend. Woe unto the 
man who was out of place at that moment, for he had 
a space especially assigned to him in a certain life boat 
and all officers had received instructions to take only 
the men who were properly assigned to boats in case it 
became necessary to abandon ship, and to shoot any 
men who attempted to board the wrong boat or who 
were out of place when the ship was abandoned. 

The men thought and acted quickly, for they had 
little time to do otherwise. The officers were univer- 
sally cool and collected, but every soldier felt the strain 
under which his officers labored and was able to detect 
a note of excitement in the voices that usually gave 
their commands slowly and with such assurance. 

The men realized that they were entering the most 
exciting and dangerous experience of their lives. They 



The Voyage to France. 83 

settled into their places and awaited the outcome of the 
engagement, which was soon under way, the guns on 
the various ships booming, the hoarse grating tones of 
the whistles filling the air with their frightful, fear- 
inspiring sounds and each ship quivering and pulsing 
under the terrific strain imposed upon it by the en- 
gines which were pounding away to their utmost ca- 
pacity in carrying the ships forward with a speed 
that previously had been considered impossible. 

All of the sub chasers rapidly assembled at the 
danger point and the cruisers followed as quickly as 
possible. The little chasers sailed about poking 
their noses into every suspicious wave, but only one 
or two of them were able to get into the heart of the 
battle. These crafts dropped bomb after bomb in their 
efforts to reach the hidden enemy and it seemed to 
the soldiers who viewed their efforts that undoubtedly 
all submarines in that locality were either destroyed or 
badly damaged by the explosions that resulted. 

It was highly surprising and genuinely pleasing 
to note the speed of the sub-chasers and to see the easy 
manner in which they moved through the water. They 
turned almost on a pivot, — as some boys said "on a 
dime," — and were so shifty and business-like that the 
soldiers felt reassured about their safety after seeing 
these crafts perform for a few minutes. Their crews, 
stripped to the waists, stood by their posts ready to 
drop depth bombs almost as soon as the danger signal 
was blown and after the fight started they rolled the 
bombs into the water so rapidly that it seemed to the 
spectators that one bomb scarcely reached the water, 
without having time to explode, before another one was 
being started on its way. 

The attack did not amount to much though it 
proved very interesting to everybody in the convoy. 



84 



Trail of the 61st 



The men had dreamed about the possibilities of a sub- 
marine attack, and though fearful that such a danger 
might confront them, had halfway hoped for the ex- 
perience. Remarks were heard on all sides, as the 
firing of the guns abated and the submarines discon- 
tinued their activities, expressing satisfaction over 




A view of a sailor gun squad on one of the ships in the conToy that was 
attacked by submarines when the 61st was being taken to France. The squad is 
preparing to send Fritz an early morning salutation and the gunner is only 
awaiting the opportunity to fire. During the submarine attack the guns of the 
convoy worked incessanty but very little, if any, damage was done " by them. 

the morning's excitement, and fertile brains began to 
hatch wonderful stories to be told to homefolks after 
the war. 

No damage resulted from the engagement and 
after being held at attention for more than half an 
hour the safety signal was blown and men were al- 
lowed their freedom. 

This engagement offered a wonderful opportunity 
to study the psychological effect of danger upon vari- 



The Voyage to France. 85 

ous types of men. One type of individual turned pale 
and violently trembled v^ith a hunted expression on 
his face shov^ing that he was undergoing an agony 
of spirit — that man v^as afraid. Another type of sol- 
dier tightly gritted his teeth, protruded his jaw a 
bit farther to the front, and with clinched hands and 
firm bearing looked about the deck in an aggressive 
way as if challenging any danger that might con- 
front him — that man was a fighter. Still another 
type appeared to accept the situation as being one of 
the most common, evfery day experiences of his life, and 
apparently was as unconcerned over it as if he were 
at home eating ice cream or otherwise enjoying him- 
self in a quiet orderly way — that man was a philoso- 
pher. A fourth type of individual showed evidence 
of an all consuming curiosity, of being so eager to see 
everything going on that he could scarcely contain 
himself; he looked eagerly in every direction and tried 
to see everything that happened, without showing the 
least concern about the outcome of the fight — ^that 
was the curious man. 

One of the most amusing incidents of this battle 
was furnished by a contingent of hungry soldiers who 
took advantage of the fight to help themselves to such 
food as they could find in the kitchens. In speaking 
of this incident one of the naval officers observed : 
"These were the most calmly indifferent men I ever 
saw in the face of danger. The richest thing I ever 
saw : for a bunch of Texans to rob the kitchens, when 
they should have been on deck praying." 

At one p. m. of the same day the submarine at- 
tack was resumed, the battle being practically a repro- 
duction of that of the morning. The guns of the ships 
fired incessantly and the submarine chasers darted 
about dropping depth bombs, until the ocean was rock- 



86 Trail of the (J 1st 

ed for several hundred yards along the route over which 
the fight was held. 

At 3:10 o'clock of the same afternoon, a final 
attack was made by the submarines but no harm was 
done to any of the ships in the convoy. In this last 
battle many men reported having seen one submarine 
blown out of the water by a depth bomb from one of 
the submarine chasers and to have observed the burn- 
ing of the debris on the surface of- the water as the 
oil from the destroyed submarine caught on fire dur- 
ing the explosion of the bombs. 

Accepting this report or not, unofficial military 
reports had it that during the three battles the Ger- 
mans used fifteen submarines, three of which were 
sunk by depth bombs. The enemy apparently had 
known every detail of the voyage of this particular 
convoy and had made preparations to destroy it by 
using a sufficiently large number of submarines to 
accomplish the desired results ; but in communicating 
by wireless with their submarines one of their mes- 
sages had been intercepted by the Allies who, in order 
to meet the grave situation, had sent fifteen sub- 
marine chasers from the harbor of Brest to meet the 
convoy about 500 miles from the coast. It has been 
seen how nearly these chasers came to being too late. 

Without any further mishap or excitement the 
convoy arrived in the harbor of Brest early on the 
morning of August 12, and for the first time during 
the voyage the men were allowed to give expression 
to their pent-up feelings. As it was learned just be- 
fore breakfast that the ships were approaching the 
coast of France, very few men ate any breakfast and 
those who did had only a sparing amount served to 
them. It is safe to say that up to this time in their 



The Voyage to France. 87 

lives no land looked so good as did the rocky coast 
of France, and when the first signs of this old country 
became visible they cheered vociferously, every avail- 
able space on deck being occupied by these happy, 
eagerly curious soldiers, in an attempt to make up in 
a few short minutes for the days and days they had 
spent on the ocean. 

Because of the shallowness of the water at the 
entrance to the inner harbor the ships were forced 
to lie out in the main harbor until the men could be 
transferred to smaller harbor boats and thereby car- 
ried to land. 

At ten o'clock on the morning of August 13, a 
lighter came alongside the U. S. S. Siboney and troops 
from Brigade Headquarters were loaded on it, to be 
taken through the docks to the wharves for unloading. 
By one o'clock the same day, the 131st Regiment was 
ashore. By four o'clock the 132nd was unloaded. 
The 133rd Regiment had been sent ashore at nine 
o'clock in the morning and the 111th Ammunition 
Train debarked at three o'clock in the afternoon. The 
111th Trench Motor Battery, which had made its 
voyage on the U. S. S. Leviathan, sailing from port 
three days after the convoy in which the main part 
of the 61st Brigade was transported, had arrived and 
debarked on the afternoon of August 11. 



V. 

BREST 

It was with a feeling of keen anticipation that 
the men stepped ashore from the small coast ships at 
Brest, for everyone had heard wonderful tales about 
sunny France. There was not a one who was alto- 
gether unfamiliar with the history of Napoleon and 
all knew that Frenchmen for centuries had been 
noted for their fighting ability. Moreover, the work 
done by the French in the first three years of the 
war had turned the eyes of the whole world on 
France, and the men were anxious to see a country 
that could produce such fighters. Throughout their 
training period in the camps of America they had 
looked forward to the hour when they would reach 
France, and they were happy over their safe arrival 
there. But what was their surprise and disappointment 
upon landing to observe before them an old, dirty, un- 
kempt and altogether unattractive town, with a little in- 
significant railroad station lying near by, and a few 
dinky box cars and a small engine sitting on a narrow 
gufige track which reminded the men of their boyhood 
days and toy trains. 

One sign common to all of the cars, and destined 
to become very familiar to the boys, was that of "40 
hommes; 8 chevaux," "forty men; eight horses." It 
was hard for the men to realize that these cars could 
possibly be used to accommodate forty men or eight 
horses, but before they had been in France many 

(88) 



Brest. 89 

weeks they learned that such cars could be made to 
accommodate as many as fifty or fifty-five men, when 
troop movements became imperative and cars were 
scarce. 

The men formed in columns, each man wearing 
his full overseas pack, and the column started on the 
long tiresome march to fie Pontanezan barracks, a 
distance of four kilometers from the outskirts of 
Brest. As they swung along in this march very little 
attention was paid to keeping step or to formation, 
for all eyes were busily engaged in seeing as much of 
the new country as possible. 

The city of Brest is laid off in irregular blocks, 
circumscribed by narrow streets paved with rough 
stones which have been used for centuries until they 
are worn and notched. Most of the streets are lined 
on each side by rock walls, about six or eight feet 
high, so ably constructed that though having stood 
for years they are yet perfectly sound. 

In marching along the old winding streets of 
Brest the troops were met at varying intervals by 
French people, old, feeble men, women of all ages 
and any number of children, no able-bodied or stal- 
wart men being seen. Even though the Americans 
had read from newspapers that the French people 
were scarcely modern in their habits and dress they 
were totally unprepared for the surprise which these 
people really afforded them. Most of the adults were 
dressed in garments that, though possibly attractive 
at some previous time, were now so worn and unbe- 
comingly draped about their gaunt figures as to give 
the effect of great poverty and unsightliness. This 
bad effect was heightened by the head-gear worn — 
which was chiefly some loose ugly colored kerchief or 
shawl tied tightly about the hair, — and by all shapes, 



9 J Trail of the 61st 

kinds and qualities of wooden shoes, in varying states 
of wear, which gave forth resounding clacks at every 
step on the rock pavements. 

The children were almost universally dressed in 
striped sweaters which closely fitted their emaciated 
frames and showed the bodies to be ill-nourished and 
in need of good substantial food. 

A particularly noticeable thing about the people 
of Brest was the wrinkled and old-looking faces of all 
the adults. The children had pinched expressions also 
but this was offset somewhat by natural expressions of 
youthfulness. The men remarked especially about 
the old-looking people they met and at many later 
times during their stay in France this subject came 
up for discussion, and they ventured many conjectures 
about the reason for it. The main reason finally agreed 
upon by the Americans was that the French drank so 
much wine and were so licentious in their mode of liv- 
ing that age overtook them early in life. The use of 
wine especially seemed to have a bad effect, for the 
old people showed its effect in their wrinkled, shriv- 
eled faces and in the expressions of their counten- 
ances. 

Nothing about Brest seemed to appeal to the 
soldiers; the people were crude, unattractive and ap- 
parently a low type of civilization and the houses were 
anything but pleasing to the eye. Most of the houses 
were constructed entirely of stone, with stone or tile 
floors, and were usually built to the edge of the streets 
so their doors opened on the sidewalks. The men in 
walking along the streets could look into the interior 
of these houses and could see the kind of home life the 
people lived, and with each view they became less 
favorably impressed. The rooms contained very little 
furniture, only enough to satisfy the simplest needs, 



Brest. 91 

and such furniture as was in evidence was made of 
the cheapest material, usually stone or straight un- 
finished wood. Indeed, one would suppose from view- 
ing the interiors of the average French house that he 
was looking into the retreat of an ascetic of ''ye olden 
tymes" instead of a modern home. 

Built principally on the gothic plan of architect- 
ure, and provided with an abundance of gables, tur- 
rets, and little artistic nooks and corners, most of the 
houses had the basis for beautification, had the in- 
habitants seen fit to improve them. It was difficult 
for the Americans, fresh from a country where al- 
most everybody had modern houses and where no 
effects of war were to be seen, to realize the destitute 
condition of the people in this French city, but they 
saw evidence on every hand in Brest of the drain 
France had sustained during the past three years of 
war. They dimly realized from the general appear- 
ance of everything, and especially that of the people, 
themselves, that the country had been ruthlessly rav- 
aged and that the power of resistance was largely 
drawn from the feeble classes yet remaining at home. 

Regardless of this knowledge, however, they were 
disappointed in Brest, for they had expected great 
things from their trip to France from the first mo- 
ment they learned that they would likely be sent to 
that country. They could not reconcile the land they 
saw with the land of their dreams, and even though 
they knew their disappointment was more or less un- 
just, they were unable to restrain it entirely. As they 
passed along the streets and saw home after home 
with its bareness and lack of comfort and the many 
people practically destitute of food and shelter, at 
first, a great wave of indignation passed over them 



92 Trail of the 61st 

and they felt that they had been tricked, thinking 
they were coming to a land of beauty and richness, 
when in reality they had come to a land of want and 
shame. They did not stop to reason that the France 
they saw and the France of peace times were two 
altogether different countries, but they accepted con- 
ditions as they saw them and criticised accordingly. 
Disparaging and disgruntled remarks were heard on 
every side, disclosing a complete disgust for France 
and everything French. The pitiful part of this ex- 
perience is that most of the soldiers were unable to 
change this attitude of mind during their stay irf 
France and returned to America full of venom for the 
French people and unwilling to credit them with any 
virtue. 

It is a sad thing that Americans had their first 
contact with France in such a spot as Brest, for this 
city is in no sense representative of the best French life 
or the better type of French people. Brittany is ac- 
knowledged all over Europe to be the worst part of 
France, to have the poorest grade of inhabitants and 
to be less progressive than any other part of the re- 
public, and soldiers who were so fortunate as to have 
traveled in other sates besides Brittany and to have 
seen some of the really beautiful sections of France, 
bear witness to this truth. The inhabitants of Brit- 
tany cannot be taken as representative of the real 
French any more than the rougher elements of the 
United States can be accepted as representative of the 
better type of Americans. 

Not only did the appearance of the people and 
the country affect the Americans but the inability of 
the soldiers to understand the French language had 
its effect also. The men had just come ashore from 
a. very trying ocean voyage and in spite of themselves 



Best. 93 

were a bit homesick for some good old American 
land. When they stepped ashore at Brest they were 
taken aback by the speech of the natives, who could 
not be understood, and who therefore f sailed miser- 
ably in expressing greetings and appreciation for 
the Americans. 

The boys had left their home country only a few 
days before and during all of their leave takings 
great demonstrations had been staged expressly for 
them. When they debarked from their ships on the 
French side of the Atlantic and could not understand 
a thing that was said, they were disappointed and 
resentful. This unfavorable opinion was formed at 
the outset and was followed immediately by preju- 
dice, which was never overcome in many of them. 
Yet, little criticism can really be offered concerning 
the manner in which the French people received the 
soldiers, for the countenances of all, old and young, 
were lit up with smiles of happy welcome and the 
streets were lined with cheering, welcoming crowds. 

As the troops marched through the town, French 
children gathered along the sidewalks laughing and 
singing. One of their most popular songs was, "Hail, 
Hail, The Gang's All Here; What the Hell Do \^e 
Care," though they were not at all backward in try- 
ing out many other American songs which they 
seemingly considered to be highly pleasing to the 
ear. This little stunt pleased the boys hugely, and 
helped to lighten the load of many a weary fellow 
and to lessen to some extent his disappointment in 
the people and the country. 

The route to the rest camp at Pontenazen Bar- 
racks lay over rough, hilly roads, and after the men 
had marched for about a mile, they were halted on 



94 Trail of the 61st 

the outskirts of Brest for rest. Here they were as- 
sailed by French venders, chiefly women and girls 
who were selling nuts and what they represented to 
be cakes and candy. The hungry soldiers eagerly 
purchased some of the cakes but after attempting to 
eat them, declared they were more nearly a combina- 
tion of sawdust and leather than cakes. They soon 
learned that what they bought in France would cost 
them dearly, as they were asked the sum of ten cents 
for a mere handful of nuts and all other commodities 
presented to them proved to have prices based on the 
same high scale. 

It was amusing to observe the soldiers in their at- 
tempts to make the French people understand Eng- 
lish. A man who knew a little French was never so 
popular before in his life; he was called on every side 
to help in transactions with the venders and even 
though he could make the French people understand 
only a word or two of his jargon, praise from his com- 
rades was showered profusely upon him. 

The march was resumed after a short rest, with 
only a few stops between there and the camp, and the 
troops soon arrived at their destination, which proved 
to be a wheat field about two miles beyond Pontena- 
zen barracks, as facilities in the barracks were inade- 
quate for housing more men. Shelter tents were im- 
iQediately erected and the brigade prepared for a 
much needed rest, the day's strain having proved es- 
pecially tiring. 

Troops who had come ashore early and had ar- 
rived in camp first, were divided into details and 
sent back to Pontenazen barracks for food, which was 
chiefly bread and beef. No trucks were available for 
the hauling of food to the camp and the details were 



Brest, 



95 



used as pack horses, being forced to use considerable 
ingenuity and intelligence in successfully accomplish- 
ing their mission. Groups of four men each carried 
blankets, in which were dumped about twelve loaves 
of bread, and these loaves, being two feet long, one 




MAJOR WILTON L. RUTAX. 
Adjutant of the 61st F. A. Brigade from December, 1917, to October, 1918. 

(See Appendix.) 

foot wide and six or eight inches deep, made a sub- 
stantial load for the four men. Each man in the 
detail gathered a corner, of the blanket over his 
shoulder and kept step with the other three men while 



96 Trail of the 61st 

marching. In this manner the detail was able to carry 
its unwieldy burden with some degree of success. 

The bread details had some laughable experiences, 
though their work was hard. One detail from Brigade 
Headquarters took its twelve loaves of bread and 
started back to camp, but the hunger of the men over- 
came them and they stopped behind some trees just 
outside of the walls of the barracks, almost under the 
noses of officers who were passing, and proceeded to 
test the quality of their burden. 

They were a bit dubious about the bread, for they 
had never before seen it in such large loaves, and then, 
too, the crust looked tough and coarse, but upon break- 
ing off small pieces from one loaf they found the flavor 
and quality to be excellent and plunged their hands into 
the white, fluffy bread, drawing forth great hunks of 
it, which they ravenously devoured. 

Before they realized what they had done, they 
found the loaf was gone — a huge, 12-pound loaf, 
24x12x6 inches — and their load had been decreased 
by one-twelfth. 

But they did not stop with eating one loaf, for 
during the trip to camp they broke several other loaves, 
the broken bits of which they ate during the entire 
march. In all, they probably ate a loaf and a half of 
fresh bread, a total of 18 pounds, which is a fairly 
substantial meal for four men, even though they were 
famished. 

The amount these men ate would not have been so 
bad if they had stopped there, but instead of going 
directly to bed after returning to camp these bread 
consumers "waited up*' for supper with the rest of 
the hungry camp and "polished off" a mess kit or two 
of corned willie and drank a cup or two of hot coffee, 



Brest. 



97 



besides eating a few more slices of their beloved bread. 
This "feed" would have killed them in civilian life, yet 
they were able to "say grace" over it without a groan 
and to roll themselves into their blankets and drop off 
to sleep as peacefully as if they had just finished a 
light repast in one of America's stingiest cafes. What 
a change a few short months had made in them ! 




Oxen are the principal beasts of burden in France and this photograph 
sliows a typical Frenchman with his wife, mother-in-law, wagon and oxen. 
These soldiers are from the 111th Ammunition Train and have prevailed upon the 
Frenchman to pose for this picture. 

Other men, usually in groups of two, were used 
as meat details, and a quarter of beef was assigned 
to them. To get their heavy piece of meat back to 
camp they were forced to run strong poles through 
it and to rest these poles upon their shoulders. In 
this manner the burden was suspended between 
them, and though heavy, especially since it had 
to be carried for a distance of two miles, the use 
of poles enabled them to successfully stand the strain. 
Other details were assigned to the duties of carrying 
water and securing wood with which to cook food for 



98 Trail of the 61st 

the evening meal. Hundreds of men carried buckets 
of water and arm-loads of wood the distance of two 
miles, from the barracks to camp. This work began 
early in the afternoon and continued until late in the 
evening. Few of the men had eaten breakfast on the 
ships, but the work of getting unloaded and out to 
camp took so much time that they could eat no din- 
ner and were starved by supper time. Yet the slow 
manner in which food was procured for the evening 
meal, coupled with the unfamiliarity of the cooks 
with their new surroundings, caused supper to be de- 
layed until about ten o'clock that night and when 
the meal was finally served it proved to be warmed 
"corned willie," coffee and bread. The men were so 
hungry. that they ate this food ravenously and pro- 
nounced it very good. 

When the details returned from Pontenazen bar- 
racks with their food no place was found where it 
could be stored, so it was thrown together in huge 
piles on the ground. Many mounds of bread reached a 
height of eight or ten feet and covered several square 
yards of ground ; but after the evening meal had been 
served it was astonishing how these piles of food had 
vanished. 

The shelter tents were lined up in the field, with 
usual military precision and even though a large part 
of the ground covered by the tents was rough or sog- 
gy, the men had no choice but to accept their bed- 
places, as they were allotted. They sorely missed the 
blankets which had been taken up at Camp Mills, 
for the heat of the day early gave way in the evening 
to a damp coolness and one blanket was entirely insuf- 
ficient during the night. Most of the men used their 
raincoats and overcoats as bedding and covered with 
their single blankets, but each night they suffered in- 



Brest, 



99 



tensely from the cold. One reason why it affected 
them so severely was the proximity of the camp to 
the ocean which allowed damp sea breezes to blow over 
the camp at night. The air was so damp each morn- 
ing when the men arose that their tents were liter- 
ally soaked with water and any tent, though able to 
have withstood the hard rains of Texas and Okla- 
homa, was easily made to leak upon being slightly 
rubbed from the inside. 




A gun squad with piece and caisson ready for action. 

The men of the 61st Brigade were sturdy, healthy 
fellows, but the first night's experience in France 
caused a number of them to become ill, and severe 
colds developed. A number of the men were weak- 
ened by the long ocean voyage they had just com- 
pleted and were therefore in no condition to stand 
the severe strain. Sore throats, deep colds and coughs 
became so prevalent that the medical officers were 



100 Trail of the 61st 

kept busy, and a number of men were sent to hospitals 
with pneumonia. 

As soon as billets could be secured in Pontenazen 
barracks several units were transferred there, though 
the whole brigade was not provided for in this man- 
ner; a large number of the soldiers were forced to 
remain encamped in shelter tents until their depart- 
ure for Redon and such troops as did reach Pontena- 
zen barracks did not fare much better than those left 
behind in open wheat fields. They were placed in 
old stone barracks where they were huddled together 
in discomfort and in many instances were forced to 
sleep on damp concrete floors which for years had 
been untouched by the sun's rays. 

Pontenezan barracks was reported to have been 
built by Napoleon during the height of his military 
power. It was enclosed by a high stone wall about 
four or five feet in height, and contained several rows 
of large stone barracks — each row about two hundred 
yards in length from front to rear — and many wooden 
billets which had been constructed at suitable spots 
on the grounds. Also, tents were so scattered over 
the camp that it resembled an American fair grounds, 
with its main buildings of concrete and side shows of 
tents and wooden shacks. 

The wooden barracks, make-shift structures has- 
tily thrown together to take care of the great number 
of troops constantly entering the camp, were equipped 
with triple-decked, wooden bunks, entirely new to the 
American soldiers, though they later became much 
better acquainted with this style of bed. When the 
men first saw their bunks they had misgivings, but 
after trying to sleep on them for one night they 
learned how uncomfortable they really were. It was 



Brest. 101 

impossible to get hay for bedsacks, so the men were 
forced to sleep on the hard slat bottoms of the bunks, 
protected from the wood only by thin bed-sacks and 
two thicknesses of their overcoats and raincoats. 
They were tremendously uncomfortable but had no 
way of changing their conditions. 

The stone barracks were bare enclosures with 
small high windows and were separated at regular 
intervals by partitions of concrete. The streets be- 
tween these barracks were narrow and surfaced with 
a hard substance that had been unsuccessful in with- 
standing the wear of the elements and was bumpy and 
uneven. The buildings, though old, were solid and 
substantial. Some of them had both upper and lower 
rooms, though most of them were one-story, barn-like 
affairs full of dampness and must. 

The tents were much more comfortable, but 
most of them were occupied by officers who man- 
aged to have comfortable beds and fair accommoda- 
tions while in Pontenazen Barracks. They had bed 
rolls on which to sleep and their tents were furled 
during the day so the sun could keep them dry and 
sanitary. These accommodations were bad enough 
but were preferable to the old stone barracks or the 
makeshift shacks. 

Pontenazen Barracks was supplied with a com- 
missary and a Y. M. C. A. building which the men 
were allowed to freely visit. The commissary was 
open only at short intervals each day, but when it 
was open the men could buy sweets and needed 
£',rticles, besides exchanging their American money 
for French money. The '*Y" appealed especially 
to the men at this time, for splendid programs were 
given at the hut each night, where several leading 



102 



Trail of the 61st 



men from the Winter Garden in New York were play- 
mg during the time the men of the 61st were in Pon- 
tenazen Barracks. These programs were entirely 
without charge but the soldiers declared that they 
had never seen better vaudeville playing anywhere 
in America. The men also spent much of their time at 
the Y. M. C. A. hut in writing home and it was here 




The kind of engine that is used to pull coaches of the "40 hommes, 8 chevaux" 
variety. . Compared to our big, powerful engines, these little iron horses do not 
make a very good impression, though many American engineers have said that 
for their size the French engines have more pulling capacity thaji the American 
engine. 



they first learned the postal regulations governing 
A. E. F. mail and were allowed to mail their letters 
without paying postage on them. 

Some men were allowed to visit the town of 
Brest, but only a few were granted this privilege; 
most of those who did visit Brest returned not very 
enthusiastic about it. The men had their first intro- 
duction to wine there and many a good "non-com" 
lost his rank by "falling off the water wagon." 



Brest 103 

Most of the men who drank seemed to have a special 
preference for Cognac and rum, though several tried 
out the virtues of vin rouge, vin blanc and champagne. 

Some form of play was engaged in at Pontenazen 
Barracks during all hours of the day, as the Y. M. C. 
A. provided paraphernalia for such entertainments. 
One of the most popular games was baseball, which 
was plaj^ed almost continually, the various units being 
allowed to get gloves, bats and such material from 
the athletic men at the **Y." These units played games 
among themselves and some of their games were of 
high grade because of the abundance of talent among 
the soldiers, many of whom had played either profes- 
sional or school ball. Boxing came in for its share of 
popularity, also, and though contests were held only 
during the evenings and late afternoons, large numbers 
of men gathered to watch these contests, especially 
when negro boxers were engaged. It was a difficult 
task to get two negroes to box, but when they did get 
into the ring there was sure to be a slugging match 
that produced merriment. Some football was played 
but not enough to count for anything in comparison 
with the other two sports. The men kicked footballs 
around the field but no real games were staged, as the 
weather was much too warm for this sport. 

Some training was engaged in by several units 
of the brigade, but the majority of the troops were 
allowed to recuperate as much as possible from their 
long ocean voyage, games and recreational activities 
being indulged in more than anything else. 

The debarkation camps adjacent to Brest were 
supposed to be rest camps but as one of the soldiers 
aptly remarked, *The only rest about them was that 
the soldiers who were so unfortunate as to pass 



104 Trail of the 61st 

through them would remember their awful experience 
there the REST of their lives." 

Facilities for taking care of soldiers at Brest 
were so poor that criticism from all over the world 
has been centered on those responsible for conditions 
in the camp. Colonel Birkhead, commander of the 131st 
F, A., said several months after leaving Brest that "the 
man, regardless of whether he was the Commanding 
Greneral of the American Expeditionary Forces or the 
most inefficient second lieutenant in the army, ought 
to be court-martialed for the conditions at Brest." 
This remark was caused by the frightful manner in 
which the men of his regiment had been treated 
while encamped there. 

While the 61st Brigade was in Brest, President 
Poincare of the French republic visited Pontenazen 
Barracks and gave a lecture, the soldiers from the 
whole camp turning out en masse to hear and see him. 
Most of them were disappointed, because their imagi- 
nations had pictured President Poincare as being a 
wonderful man and when they heard him speak 
they found him to be only an ordinary one. 

Those who were so fortunate as to have retained 
any money from the expenses of their voyage, em- 
braced the opportunity of exchanging their American 
money for French money. Their attempts to count 
the francs and centimes after having received them, 
caused much fun among the entire brigade though 
only a few men had any money to exchange. 

On June 17th the brigade received orders to en- 
train the following day for Redon, France; at two- 
thirty on the morning of the 18th they were on their 
way to the cars which were to take them to their new 
destination. At this early hour they were unable to 



Brest 105 

observe the routes they followed, but after a long, 
fatiguing march arrived at the trains, several units 
having lost their way en route. 

Breakfast of cold food was served to them at 
daylight and they entrained at sunrise. Officers were 
quartered in coaches of the first class, which were di- 
vided into compartments that accommodated eight 
or ten men and had interiors nicely furnished with 
rich upholstering, wall mirrors and window curtains. 
Non-commissioned officers were placed in second-class 
compartments which though quite similar to the first- 
class cars were not as expensively finished. The pri- 
vates were loaded into box-cars of the "40 hommes, 
8 chevaux" variety. 



VI. 

REDON 

As the trains slowly moved out of the station at 
Brest all aboard were pleased to be leaving the camp 
where they had passed such an unpleasant stay of 
five days. They thought they were scheduled for at 
least an all-day ride, but they did not know for how 
much longer, and this fact lent additional interest to 
the trip. They were passing through new country 
where they were seeing new sights and this also 
added tremendously to their satisfaction. 

Food, chiefly of corned willie, bread and a small 
supply of syrup and jelly, had been divided among 
the men before their entrainment, each car receiving 
its regulation supply. By eleven o'clock the soldiers 
began to grow hungry and many cars served noon day 
mess early on that account; the soldiers seemed to 
feel that eating was a duty necessary to be performed 
with as much dispatch as possible. Because of the 
scarcity of sweets, a close guard was maintained 
over the supply of jam and preserves in each car, but 
in spite of this precaution many cans of jam were ap- 
propriated and eaten by enterprising individuals who 
enjoyed quite sumptuous meals, though the eating 
of them was done in secrecy. Upon the discovery of the 
thefts, custodians of the preserve supply blessed the 
miscreants with mighty oaths and threatened dire 
vengeance upon them, but all in vain, for the mischief 
was done and the culprits innocently disclaimed any 
responsibility for it. 

(106) 



Redon. 107 

The country surrounding Brest is rough and 
broken ; and its large hills and deep valleys are sprin- 
kled with stunted undergrowth which has been 
trimmed and cut so often that most of the trees and 
bushes are knotted and gnarled into fantastic shapes. 

As the train sped toward southern France, the 
men realized from the many beautiful views they be- 
held that the scenery of old Brittainy must be unsur- 
passed by any in western France. Cozy old farm 
houses, set in the midst of trees and flowers and sur- 
rounded by landscapes dotted with small uneven 
tracts of farm land in which growing and ripening 
crops predominated, were seen in abundance. There 
was little sameness or monotony, though houses were 
very similar, and hedges were commonly used through- 
out the country, a pretty spot here, a turn in a white 
bedded road, disclosing an especially attractive stretch 
of valley there, always saved the situation and made 
the soldier expectant of newer and more attractive 
views. 

Buckwheat was in bloom and was growing in 
such quantities that practically every bit of farmland 
was beautified to some extent by bright purple blos- 
soms. The soldiers imagined upon seeing so many 
fields of buckwheat that France must be a veritable 
haven for bees, and since they had lacked an abun- 
dance of sweets while in the army, they conjured up 
visions of the good "feeds" they would have in this 
country of buckwheat and bees. But they were dis- 
appointed in this expectation for they saw scarcely 
any honey while in France. 

Town after town, with its quaint old buildings 
of stone and its winding rock-walled streets, were 
passed during the day and by evening the men had ac- 



108 Trail of the 61st 

quired a fairly good idea of the general appearance of 
the average French town of Brittany. One notice- 
able thing about these French towns was their near- 
ness to each other ; it seemed to the soldiers that their 
trains passed through towns about half of the time, 
and this was almost literally true. 

During the afternoon news became distributed 
that the brigade would detrain at Redon, a little town 
of about five thousand inhabitants, situated one hun- 
dred and twenty-five kilometers southeast of Brest, 
in the French state of Ill-et-Villaine. This town 
was reached at seven o'clock in the evening, when 
the soldiers detrained and marched from the station 
to a vacant spot on the outskirts of town, and pitched 
camp for the night. 

The men were impressed with Redon from the 
first view they had of it and they were also favorably 
impressed with the people who came out to camp im- 
mediately after the troops arrived, to show their hos- 
pitality and appreciation. 

After remaining all night in shelter tents, the 
brigade arose early the next morning to roll packs 
and clean camp preparatory to leaving for their bil- 
lets. By noon practically all units were established 
in town, the enlisted men being billeted in barns and 
houses, and brigade, regimental, battalion and bat- 
tery headquarters were established in special buildings. 
Brigade Headquarters was stationed in an attractive 
old chateau. 

This chateau, an old building of the middle- 
eighteenth century design, was situated in a plot of 
several acres of undulating ground beautified by mag- 
nificent flower plants and semi-tropical fruit trees. 



Redon. 109 

The garden and lawn were strikingly beautiful. The 
chateau sat back about three hundred yards from the 
main street leading from the business section of the 
town past the chateau and was approached by a 
winding, hard-surfaced, flower-bordered driveway, 
which opened into the grounds through a typical 
French gate and led by devious turns to the old house. 
In following this driveway a visitor was almost star- 
tled by the sudden view of the chateau as the road 
emerged from behind a screen of low flower-iaden 
vines, and a sweeping view of the grounds and build- 
ings opened before him. 

The chateau was constructed of French stone, 
surfaced with an attractive coating of concrete so 
skillfully applied that the casual observer was in- 
veigled into the belief that he was looking at the nat- 
ural stone itself. It was built on severe straight lines, 
and showed little signs of the wear and tear of years 
of weathering. True to the usual French style of ar- 
chitecture, the doors opened directly upon a concrete 
walk which ran along the entire front of the building, 
the door sills of stone being plumb with the walk. The 
floors of the lower rooms were pieces of stone which 
had been placed with regularity at some time, though 
now they were uneven and rough from usage. The 
rooms were of irregular shape and size, and though 
containing a number of turns and corners, were rather 
stern and forbidding in appearance, being saved from 
unsightliness by snow-white curtains at the windows 
and little bric-a-brac tucked away in the nooks and 
indentures. 

The main entrance was in the center of the build- 
ing, and it opened into a short, wide hall, which ended 



110 Trail of the 61st 

in a broad, winding stairway that led to low ceilinged 
rooms above, quite similar in appearance and con- 
struction to those below. A hallway ran the full dis- 
tance of the upper floor^ at various points opening 
onto a balustraded gallery which commanded a splen- 
did view of Redon and the surrounding country. The 
gallery proved to be a favorite spot with officers of 
brigade headquarters and with such non-commissioned 
officers of that organization as developed the temerity 
to visit it. 

The lady owner of the chateau retained only two 
or three rooms for her use and allowed the General 
and his staff the use of the remainder of the house. The 
enlisted men were housed in a barn which lay about one 
hundred yards distant from the chateau, and they made 
themselves comfortable in the lofts of this building, 
where they found an abundance of dry hay with which 
to make beds. The men were surprised to learn that 
the servants lived in one end of the barn, and the 
family horse in the central part, while the tool house, 
with loft overhead, completed the other wing of the 
building. 

About half way between the chateau and the barn 
was a garage which the chief mechanic and his men 
occupied. The lower part of this garage was used 
for cars and motorcycles and the upper part, which 
had been provided with stairs leading to a very cozy 
little room above, was used as living quarters for 
the men. The sound of puffing cars remonstrating 
against the attentions of the chief mechanic and his 
tribe could be heard at almost any ?iour of the day, 
for here the cars and motorcycles of the entire brig- 
ade were sent to be overhauled and put into shape. 

The balcony of the chateau overlooked a canal, 
which ran through the town of Redon and along which 



Redon 111 

Frenchmen and women pulled barges of produce 
to town. It was a strange sight to the Americans to 
see the French people transport their products on the 
canal, for never before had they seen humans act- 
ing as beasts of burden; they were always interested 
in watching these Frenchmen as they walked along 
the banks of the canal pulling barges by great ropes. 
Sometimes draft horses and mules were used for this 
work but more often men and women were seen 
straining and pulling at the ropes. 

As soon as the men became acquainted with the 
canal they expressed a desire to swim in it, the scar- 
city of bathing facilities in the town and the attrac- 
tiveness of the canal water creating this desire. They 
did not have to wait long for this pleasure, for regi- 
mental orders were soon issued providing for bathing 
in the canal at regular intervals. The first group to 
enter the water did so with glee, expecting enjoyment 
therefrom, but what was their dismay to find the 
water extremely dirty and the bed of the canal cov- 
ered with about a foot or two of sticky, grimy mud 
which clung to their bodies with such tenacity that 
they were unable to rid themselves entirely of it and 
left the water feeling more unclean than upon enter- 
ing it. As soon as news of this bath spread over the 
brigade consternation overtook the remainder of the 
men, for they did not desire to undergo this same un- 
pleasantness; but the bathing orders remained in ef- 
fect and practically every man in the brigade was 
compelled to bathe in the canal before leaving Redon. 

Adjacent to the canal throughout its entire course, 
were washing places used by French women, who con- 
gregated from day to day in small groups to do their 
weekly washing. These women gathered around 
rough concrete basins of water to wash their clothes, 



112 Trail of the 61st 

either using the basins which were usually about 
twenty or thirty feet square and three or four feet 
deep, or the canal itself, where they arranged logs 
and rough platforms on which to stand while doing 
their work. The process they used was new to the 
American soldiers, who saw clothes first dipped into 
the water until they had become well soaked, after 















', \ •- 




' " j^y 


M?- 




"0^^ 
\*^' 




§ix 


'.. ' ^ ;: 






tt 


^M 


1 






^1 


L_ 




A French woman and her cows. This woman has her knitting aaid is there- 
fore "doing her bit" even while watching the cows. 

which they were placed on rocks, concrete blocks or 
pieces of wood, and beaten by thick, flat paddles made 
for this purpose. The resounding thwacks of these 
paddles, as they were wielded by the sturdy French 
women, soon became familiar to the soldiers who 
never tired of watching the women at this work. 

Redon faced another small town, across the canal, 
and during practically all hours of the day the chim- 
ing, deep tones of church bells from this little town 
floated over the valley, reminding the men of Sunday 
mornings at home, when similar sounding church bells 
tolled forth signals for church services and Sunday 



Redon 113 

school. The tolling of the bells came to be more of a 
nuisance than a pleasure to the soldiers before they left 
Redon, for regardless of the hours of the day or of the 
occupation in which the men were engaged the ever 
tolling bells were to be heard. If a soldier awakened 
during the night he was likely to hear bells ringing; if 
he attempted to catch a little nap during the day he was 
kept awake by the clanging, clamorous chimes of a 
multitude of ringing, rumbling bells — bells that tolled 
and doled incessantly. He was lulled to sleep by bells, 
he was awakened by bells and he was entertained day 
and night by bells, until he became sick and tired of 
them, hoping for the day when he could return to a land 
where towns were not so close together and where 
bells were practically unknown. 

Regardless of these feelings, however, there was 
something peculiarly chaste and softening in the 
sounds floating so majestically from the bell towers 
of the old weather-scarred churches of this ancient 
little town. Daring the early mornings peals of dis- 
tant church bells awakened the soldiers, mellowing 
their hardening spirits into a realization that the 
world was beautiful and good, even if it did compel 
them to devote their time and energies to the work 
of war. No grander prayer than the tolling of these 
early bells could have been offered to the stirring 
camp of busy soldiers each morning as they arose to 
face the monotony and grind of their daily work, and 
they unconsciously acknowledged it by their actions. 

Instead of stopping in Redon, when it detrained 
there, the llltli Ammunition Train marched to Feg- 
reac where shelter tents were pitched August 21, at 
7:30 a. m. Companies "C" and "D" were left on de- 
tached service at Brest and did not rejoin the train 
while in France. These two companies were soon 



114 



Trail of the 61st 



sent to the trenches where they saw hard service and 
had many men and officers killed in battle. 

When the cars bearing the Ammunition Train 
pulled up at Redon at two-thirty in the morning and 
the soldiers were ordered to detrain, they were 
awakened ^with difficulty and officers were compelled 
to visit practically every compartment of the cars 
to get them. But after being ordered into formation, 



- J.*-?vJ«sg r 3t fl:i'?-e»if W tUrt i*i* W-, ' 




Maure, France, one of the towns in which the 111th Ammunition Train was 
stationed before going to Camp de Coetquidan. 

they began their march, which led through Redon 
over beautiful hard-surfaced roads, in the moonlight, 
to Fegreac, which was reached at daybreak. Until 
they stopped at Fegreac they were uncertain as to 
their destination, the prevailing opinion being that 
they were approaching the front, since they had been 
traveling throughout the night and were at that time 
unfamiliar with the size of France or the distance to 
the front. 



Redon 115 

They were ordered to pitch shelter tents in a 
pasture about one kilometer from Fegreac, where 
they disappointedly settled themselves to camp life, to 
experience the same inconveniences from lack of bed 
clothing that they did at Brest. Many took deep colds 
and became so ill that ambulances from Coetquidan 
soon were common in camp. 

The Train remained at Fegreac, where it trained 
in preparation for the front, until September 5, when 
it moved to Maxent, a town about fifteen kilometers 
from Coetquidan. While en route to Maxent it was 
divided, the Motor Battalion going to Louthel, and 
the Horsed Battalion continuing on to Maxent. At 
Maxent the first French equipment was received and 
the Americans became acquainted with the intri- 
cacies of French machinery, especially harness and 
wagons, which were entirely different from what 
they had been accustomed to using in America. 

By September 27th all of the Train except the 
two companies at the front, had arrived at Maure, and 
it was here that the main part of its training in France 
was undergone. The schedule was divided between 
drills, the hauling of ammunition, equitation, the 
handling of horses, gas drill and long, difficult hikes. 
In short, the Train underwent rigid training for the 
front, this work being diminished, of course, after 
the signing of the armistice. It was at Maure that 
Lieut. Col. Stevenson endeared himself to his men by 
the soldierly manner in which he conducted the 
Train; he was always "on the job" and seemed more 
like a careful, just father to the fellows than a 
stern disciplinarian. He was always easily approach- 
able by the rankest private as well as by the highest 
ranking officer, but one demand that he imposed upon 
his officers was that they take especial care of the 



116 



Trail of the 61st 



housing and feeding of their men. He was careful 
of his men in respect to comfort and proper food, but 
his hobby was sanitation. He thought sanitation, 
acted sanitation and talked sanitation, in fine, was a 
walking representative of sanitation. This is easily- 
understood when his profession is taken into con- 
sideration, for before entering the service he was one 




A splendid view of the buildings occupied by General Pershing and his staff 
at Chaumont. G. H. Q. was located at Paris until the First Army was well 
organized and put into the line, when it was removed to Chaumont, where it 
remained during the remainder of the war. 



of the most prominent physicians in Texas. During 
the serious epidemic at Camp Bowie he proved his 
medical ability by taking control of the situation in 
camp and bringing order and health out of chaos and 
disease. 

After Maure, the train was moved to Camp 
Coetquidan, where it again joined the 61st Brigade, 
the first time since leaving Camp Bowie. 



Redon 117 

As soon as the men of the brigade become set- 
tled in their new surroundings in Redon a course of 
instruction was outlined by General Stephens and 
the first real work in France began. Officers under- 
went a course of instruction under the immediate di- 
rection of General Stephens, while the men were given 
special instruction in Orientation, Gunnery, Visual 
Signaling, Physical Drills and especially the O'Grady 
exercises. 

Also, schools for enlisted men were organized to 
teach such subjects as Telephone Work, Telegraphy, 
Orientation, Topography and Gunnery and consider- 
able emphasis was placed upon gas drill, a brigade 
officer being appointed to conduct training in gas de- 
fense. The men were required to wear gas niisks 
during stated intervals every day and they became 
so accustomed to their masks that they learned to 
sleep with them on. 

The men of the 61st had come in contact wii\i 
General Stephens frequently after he joined ^he brig- 
ade at Camp Mills, but they did not become really 
acquainted with him until after their arrival in 
Redon. The general's car was to be seen over town 
or among the billets of the soldiers at all hour? of 
the day, and wherever he appeared they learned to 
come snappily to attention and to carefully salute 
him. General Stephens was a friend to his soldiers, 
but he demanded that they be careful cf military cour- 
tesies and exact in the performance of their duties. 
He made a point of appearing among them when they 
least expected him and of administering reprimands 
to such men as were dilatory in responding imme- 
diately to his presence. When he observed a soldier 
or group of soldiers who failed to come to atten^ 
tion as his car sped by he always made a point of 



118 



Trail of the 61st 



stopping his car and of calling the attention of these 
men to the fact that they had been guilty of a breach 




One of the billets where men of the 61st lived before going to Coetquidan. 
Such rickety stairways as that leading to the entrace of this billet were not al- 
together desirable for those soldiers who associated too freely with vin rouge 
and found their way home "after hours." 

of military courtesy. He was punctilious in his hab- 
its, careful in his manners, and at all times military 
to the last degree, exacting similar conduct from men 
and officers in his brigade. He was just as quick 
to correct an officer — colonel or lieutenant — when he 
observed some slackness in them, as he was an en- 



Redon 119 

listed man, and the soldiers early learned to }iave 
confidence in his justness, realizing that he was not 
partial to his officers. 

General Stephens commenced visiting iname- 
diately after his arrival in Redon and his drivers 
found that he was constantly on the alert to locate 
other general officers in order to meet them and 
learn more about conditions in France. He attempted 
to keep in touch with the military situation as nearly 
as possible at all times, his activity in this respect 
probably being instrumental in his early death. 

The brigade's stay in Redon was important to the 
soldiers because it afforded their first opportunity to 
come in close contact with French life and permitted 
them to form intelligent conclusions about the French 
people. The men were allowed a considerable degree 
of freedom during their evenings and they used this 
time to meet the townspeople and to grow acquainted 
with them, as well as to enjoy the pleasures of the 
wine-rooms and restaurants. 

These places were revelations to the American 
soldiers, most of whom had been away so long 
from anything that resembled drinking houses as to 
be almost surprised that such pleasureable spots 
were still in existence. They flocked downtown in 
great numbers to bright, attractive little rooms where 
they were served splendid French meals and drinks 
by French waitresses who added spice and enjoy- 
ment to the servings by their amusing efforts to talk 
to the men in English. The average French restau- 
rant opened directly on the street and was a little bare 
room containing counters, where people could pur- 
chase lunches of cheese, milk, wine, or where there 
were both counters and tables, which were either small 



120 



Trail of the 61st 



enough to accommodate only two people, or large 
€-nough for family use. If the soldiers were especially 
hungry they could make their wants known and im- 
mediately be rewarded by seeing placed before them a 
meal peculiarly satisfying and touched off by a bottle of 
sparkling wine. One kind of French food, in partic- 




Gun drill in the rain preparatory to the "Battle of Coetquidan." The men 
became so accustomed to working in the rain that they served their pieces and 
executed their drills without thinking ahout the weather. 

ular, appealed to the soldiers, and that was Fr-'nch 
bread, so baked that it had a thick, hard crust and 
a coarse heavy grain, but with a flavor that blended 
ideally with wines, fruit and butter. French bijid 
and butter was especially appetizing, and the men could 
never get enough of it, as bread tickets — printed 
slips necessary to have in one's possession before 
bread could be sold to him, — were hard to secure. 
Regardless of restrictions, however, many loaves 
of bread found their way to the soldiers, due to the 
kindness of brown-eyed, chic little French lasses 



Redon 121 

who saw to it that their American friends were well 
supplied. 

The inroads upon the French food supply by the 
soldiers became so marked in Redon that French au- 
thorities remonstrated, saying that unless some re- 
strictions were imposed upon the Americans the 
townspeople of Redon would suffer from lack of 
food. As a result, before the brigade left for Coei- 
quidan it became practically impossible for Ameri- 
cans to buy even bread and jellies, though some were 
able to secure these foods in fairly substantial quanti- 
ties from good-natured French vendors, and others 
paid no attention to the orders but continued to go to 
the restaurants, where they were furnished gocd 
meals by the obliging townspeople, who were not in 
sympathy with the authorities. 

Many American boys and French girls became 
acquainted with each other in French cafes where les- 
sons in both French and English were exchanged. 
The soldiers could learn French quite easily from at- 
tractive French maids, although they experienced 
great difficulty in acquiring any knowledge of 
the language from text books or regular teachers, 
and. the same thing can be said of the French girls, 
who preferred to learn their English from jovial 
American soldiers. The attempts of these young 
people to talk to each other were amusing, though 
underlying all of this merriment was a sincere desire 
to make each other understood and thereby to become 
better acquainted. 

While the opportunity to study the town was 
beneficial to most of the men it had a bad effect on 
a few, for the sight of three or four good friends 
helping a belated comrade to his billet after he had 
been a little too free in partaking of wine and cognac 



122 



Trail of the 61st 



became frequent. Yet when we remember that many 
of these soldiers were placed for the first time where 
they could procure all the liquor they desired much 
credit is due them for the small amount of drunken- 
ness that occurred and for the mannerly way in which 




Graveyard at Coetquidan. Men of the 61st who dieS in Coetquidan were 
buried here, and pine crosses hearing the names and organizations of ea,ch man 
mark their graves 



they deported themselves. Even though military rules 
forbade any man from becoming intoxicated, all of 
the soldiers knew that they could get stronger drinks 
than the light wines and beers they were allowed, and 
their abstemiousness under such circumstances re- 
flects much credit upon them. 

An enjoyable feature in the life at Redon was the 
picking of blackberries, which grew in great quanti- 
ties along all the roadsides. Each evening great 
numbers of men picked berries from the rank 
vines which bore so abundantly, and most units kept 



Redon 123 

their cooks supplied with enough berries to make 
cobbler pies and jam, delicacies they had not enjoyed 
since the good old Camp Bowie days. 

The French people refused to eat blackberries or 
even to gather them, since it was against their religion 
to do so. One explanation of their attitude has been 
furnished by a priest in Paris who stated that the 
French people refused to use the blackberry because 
wine made from it was supposed to have been used 
by Judas Iscariot at the Lord's Supper, when he 
played traitor to Jesus Christ. This priest also vol- 
unteered the information that because of the above 
mentioned reason a governmental edict had been is- 
sued forbidding the use of blackberries by the French 
people. 

The food question became serious at Redon, be- 
cause practically all of the best food was sent to the 
front and the men back of the lines had to be con- 
tent with what was issued to them. But one vege- 
table that constantly remained with them and had 
done so since their departure from Camp Mills, was 
the navy bean ; the men were served navy beans so 
often and in so many different forms that they be- 
came heartily tired of that vegetable, and especially so 
at Redon, where the only variety obtainable was a 
large flat bean with no flavor. 

C. R. Revis, (colored) of the 347th labor battalion 
is responsible for a little verse that aptly describes 
the bean situation in Brest and Redon: 

"It was beans for breakfast ; it was beans for dinner ; 

It was beans for supper time. 
It was baked beans, stewed beans, fried beans. 

Boiled beans, — beans rain or shine. 



124 



Trail of the 61st 



Sometimes it was lamb, chicken or ham, — 
A stranger you may have seen; 

But the thing I mind was I got mighty dam tired 
Of eatin' just beans, beans, beans." 




LT. COLONEL SLOAN SIMPSON, 
Who succeeded Major Rutan a,s Brigade Adjutant, in October, 1918. 

(See Appendix.) 



The soldiers were unfortunate in the type of 
French people with whom they came in contact at 
Redon; for the majority of peasantry who live in old 
Brittany are anjrthing but desirable associates. The 
men are rough, uncouth, illiterate wine-sots, who take 
delight in abusing their wives and in whipping their 
children. They treat their stock, especially their 
horses, which are usually sheltered under the same 
roof with themselves, with unusual kindness, as if 
these animals were much more valuable and worthy of 



Redon 125 

kind attention than the women and children of their 
households. They are coarse and bestial, and entirely- 
unacquainted with modesty and morality. 

The women of this class are strong, coarse count- 
erparts of the men; they do practically all of the 
work, both in the households and in the fields, are 
meek and obedient in the presence of their husbands 
and masters and, judged by our code of morals, are 
entirely unmoral. They are the mothers of large 
families of children whom they leave to practically 
shift for themselves, only assuming enough responsi- 
bility over them to provide necessary food and shelter. 

As the people in Brest and surrounding country 
belong to the same class as those at Redon, it is no 
surprise that the soldiers of the 61st Brigade should 
have become disgusted with France and her people. 
But even these low grade Frenchmen had many vir- 
tues for which they should be commended ; their re- 
lations with each other and with the Americans were 
always smoothed by an innate politeness, even their 
slightest request being accompanied by an "if you 
please," and ownership of property was so sacred to 
them that any kind of little articles, such as clothing 
and fruit, were entirely safe from their molestation. 
Americans think nothing of stepping into the orchard 
of a stranger and helping themselves to a peach or a 
pear, but these French people consider such an act as 
outrageous and entirely unlawful, under no circum- 
stance to be permitted. They live in such close contact 
with each other and are so congested that they have 
long since learned to oil their relations with politeness, 
and their appreciation of property rights has been 
forced upon them because of their slender individual 
means. 



126 



Trail of the 61st 



Redon is a very attractive old French town. It 
has a watch tower over a city hall and a central paved 
quadrangle which is divided by a stone wall provided 
with a wicker gate that opens for traffic during 
the day and closes during the night. Each Saturday 
the townspeople and surrounding country folk flock 
to town for market day. Animals of all types are 
for sale at the market place ; chickens, held by strings 
attached to their feet, hogs of all sizes and varieties, so 




French observation posts near Coetquidan. 

tamed that they can be easily controlled by one or 
two women and are therefore allowed to run at large 
in the streets, cattle led about with ropes by peasant 
women who are eager to show what good milkers 
they have, calves with all four feet tied together and 
thrown cruelly on their sides or head, — all bunched to- 
gether in one motley mass, with their owners vocifer- 
ously and consistently proclaiming the wonderful bar- 
gains they offer. 



Redon 127 

Two experienced French traders afforded as 
great amusement to the soldiers as anything they saw 
in France, for these fellows seemed to consider that 
half of their success in making a shrewd deal lay in 
their ability to out-talk and out-gesticulate each other. 
They shouted at the top of their voices and swung 
their arms like flails, often coming in such close con- 
tact that apparently they were in danger of doing each 
other bodily harm. Frequently, while they were !iT 
the midst of such an earnest conversation, one of 
the animals they were trying to sell escaped from 
them or strayed too far away from the market place, 
in which case they would break off abruptly in their 
conversations and dash after the offending animal to 
bring it back. 

Market day was a gala day in France and though 
held every week was fully attended. During the war 
enough stock was brought to the market at Redon to fill 
a block or two on the market street ; and the boys never 
tired of watching the trades that took place there. 

On September 4, the Brigade received orders to 
move overland to Coetquidan, an artillery camp built 
by Napoleon and situated twenty-four kilometers to 
the east of Redon. Arrangements for an immediate 
departure were made and great truck loads of equip- 
ment were sent to Coetquidan in advance by army 
trucks. By 11 :30 of the 5th all of the units had assem- 
bled near the tower in Redon and the march across 
country had started. 

The 5th of September was one of the hottest days 
the soldiers had seen in France and the heat proved 
to be especially oppressive during the march. The 
men wore packs that averaged seventy pounds in 
weight but marched a distance of about fifteen kilo- 
meters the first afternoon. A large number were un- 



128 



Trail of the 61st 



able to stand the terrific strain and. dropped out thor- 
oughly exhausted. 

As the men plodded rapidly along the hot, dusty 
road they became thirsty and were forced to drink 
freely from their canteens, so by the middle of the 
afternoon their supply of water had become exhausted. 
In a number of towns, where they were allowed 
to stop for short rests, they made attempts to 




The "slum line was one line that the men did not grumble about making, 
though it was decidedly inconvenient a,t times to make it when the rain was 
pouring down heavily and the food hatd' to be ea^ten without shelter. 



replenish their supply of water but in every 
instance they were strictly forbidden from doing so, 
since their officers were uncertain as to the purity of 
the available water. Once during the afternoon they 
were served their choice of either coffee or a combina- 
tion fruit juice, but these drinks only increased their 
thirst and by the time a camping place for the night 
was reached many of them were in agony for want 



Redon 129 

of water. The officers made a strong effort to see 
that men did not drop out of ranks during the march, 
but their efforts were entirely unsuccessful, and sol- 
diers commenced falling out by the middle of the 
afternoon. By evening large numbers were left 
behind. The effect on Brigade Headquarters De- 
tachment, which commenced the march with thirty- 
five men and arrived at the camp with nine men, is a 
good illustration of the effect of the march on the 
entire Brigade. 

The camping place chosen for the night lay be- 
tween two hills and just off of the highway. The 
ground had apparently been used as a pasture during 
the last twenty years, for though. thickly sodded with 
grass, its surface was unusually rough and bumpy. 
But the ground on which they pitched tents did not 
concern the tired men for they were interested only in 
getting quickly to bed. Within a short time after the 
first troops had become settled, the stragglers came 
in and by dusk the forces were completely reunited. 
The men were too tired to bother much about supper 
and turned in for the night as rapidly as they could 
erect shelter tents. Most of them slept well and arose 
in the morning refreshed and ready for the day's 
march to Coetquidan. 

The remaining part of the march varied only 
slightly from that of the previous day, with the ex- 
ception that very few men fell out of ranks, though 
most of them declared upon arriving in Coetquidan 
that another kilometer would have been just that 
much more than they could have stood. The last four 
miles lay over a road which wound up hill, and the 
last mile was so difficult that it took almost super- 
human will power to accomplish it. 



130 Trail of the 61st 

It is safe to say that of all their experiences in 
France the troops of the 61st Brigade today retain a 
more vivid memory of the march from Redon to 
Coetquidan than of any other. 

The Ammunition Train suffered from the hike, 
for it marched from Fegreac to Redon, a distance of 
about ten kilometers, before the main march started, 
and instead of stopping in Coetquidan on the follow- 
ing day, continued the march to Maxent and Louthel, 
both towns about fifteen kilometers beyond Coetquidan. 
The men of the Train marched twenty-five kilometers 
farther than other troops of the Brigade, which made 
a total hike for them of approximately fifty-five or 
sixty kilometers. Lieutenant Col. Stevenson in speak- 
ing of this hike remarked that during all of his mili- 
tary experiences he had never seen as difficult a march 
imposed on any troops, trained or untrained. 



VII. 
CAMP de COETQUIDAN 

Camp de Coetquidan, which is situated approxi- 
mately ninety kilometers north of St. Nazaire and 
forty-two kilometers south of Rennes, has been used 
as an artillery training camp for several centuries. 
Napoleon Bonaparte quartered troops in this camp 
and remains of his barracks can yet be seen. One 
old wall of particular interest is reported to have been 
used by Napoleon's firing squads in their executions, 
and the wooden pillars of this wall are studded with 
bullets, though hundreds of the bullets have been 
removed as souvenirs by both French and American 
soldiers. 

To the north and west of the camp are a number 
of abandoned French villages, reported to have been 
deserted years ago on account of a scourge of black 
plague. These towns furnish excellent targets for 
artillery guns and were so used by the 61st Brigade 
during its training period at Coetquidan. 

The camp proper contained a number of concrete 
buildings which had been constructed by the Ameri- 
cans after the war began for the accommodation of 
their organization headquarters. The billets for sol- 
diers were constructed of wood, and were slight frame 
buildings without floors. The lack of floors seriously 
affected the soldiers during the winter months and was 
responsible for many of them taking bad colds. A hos- 
pital of large, roomy, two-story, concrete buildings, pro- 

(131) 



132 



Trail of the 61st 



vided adequate facilities for taking care of the sick in 
camp. 

Upon arriving from Redon the soldiers were im- 
mediately marched to their billets and before night 
were comfortably established in permanent quarters. 
Adjacent to the billets and erected at regular intervals 
were wash houses where an abundant supply of water 
was available for washing and drinking purposes. 



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A group of 111th Ammunition Trainmen eating mess in Camp de Coetquidan. 

Here the men quickly removed the accumulated dirt 
and grime, and after resting a short time began to 
investigate their new surroundings, which they found 
to be very pleasant and satisfactory. That evening 
a "run" was made on the shower baths and the men 
emerged from the bath rooms feeling better pleased 
with their caimp than at any time since they had left 
the United States. 

Camp de Coetquidan was divided into streets 
quite similar in appearance and general construction 
to those in American camps, but the billets were alto- 



Camp de Coetquidan 133 

gether different from any in which they had been 
housed while in America. Three main thorough- 
fares were cut at right angles by company streets, 
which were lined on both sides with wooden barracks. 
At various points, apparently selected at random, 
large concrete buildings had been erected. These build- 
ings were chosen as headquarters for the regiments 
and the Ammunition Train, and two similar buildings 
were used for Brigade and Camp Headquarters. The 
company streets were coated with crushed rock which 
during the early fall proved able to withstand the 
light rains that fell, but before spring the effect of 
the long months of winter rains left the streets in a 
perfect loblolly of mud, and some were in such bad 
condition that they were practically impassable. 

The billets were anything but comfortable, since 
practically all were without floors, good windows, or 
rain-proof roofs. The incessant rainfall kept every- 
thing damp and the dirt floors were in a constantly 
softened condition, and as there was no sunshine to dry 
them they remained that way. This condition was not 
relieved during the stay of the Brigade in the camp 
though large numbers of soldiers were assigned to each 
building, which was made to accommodate as many 
cots as could be placed in it. Most of the cots were so 
close together that the men had very little room in 
which to undress or change clothes. 

This congested condition produced the "P'lu." 
and so many men became sick from this disease that 
the medical authorities issued orders that all men 
should separate themselves from their comrades by 
hanging blankets between cots to form more or less 
secluded chambers in which to sleep and which would 
prohibit the passage of germs from one sleeper to an- 
other. It was a unique sight to pass down the central 



134 Trail of the 61st 

aisle of a billet at night and see the many blanket 
"stalls" filled with cots of sleeping men over which 
fresh air was allowed to pass freely through open 
windows and doors. But the stalls and the free air 
"turned the trick" and the epidemic was soon driven 
away. 

When the 61st Brigade first arrived at Coetqui- 
dan, there seemed to be an abundance of water for all 




Headquarters of the 111th Ammunition Train at Camp de Coetquidan. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Stevenson and his staif are shown in the foreground. The 111th 
Ammunition Train occupied the upper part of the camp close to the drill 
grounds and athletic field. 

uses and the men took frequent baths and kept their 
clothes carefully washed. But after a short time the 
water supply diminished and water conditions became 
so bad that orders were issued prohibiting the taking 
of baths or the using of washrooms, except at speci- 
fied hours. Yet even under these conditions the fa- 
cilities furnished by the wash rooms were excellent, 
as each wash house contained a long, concrete basin 



Camp de Coetquidan 135 

which extended the entire len^h of the room, and in 
the center of which was a concrete frame reaching to 
a height of three or four feet. Spigots were attached to 
this frame for the purpose of furnishing water at 
about the height of a man's shoulders, and these 
spigots were so plentiful that as many men as could 
stand side by side in the buildings had an abundance of 
water for their individual uses. 

Long, narrow, concrete troughs, reaching to 
about the height of a man's waist, surrounded by con- 
crete bases for standing room, and covered by roofs, 
were provided for the washing of clothes. Water in 
abundance was available in these troughs at all 
hours of the day and regardless of the conditions of 
the weather, men could take their clothes there and 
wash them without suffering any inconvenience. The 
soldiers used these troughs regularly, and it became 
a common sight to see them with their sleeves rolled up, 
and large bundles of clothes before them, industriously 
engaged in scrubbing. The business of washing be- 
came grave before the winter was over, however, for 
it was no easy task to wash a lot of clothes in cold 
water, with bitter winds blowing so hard against you 
while you were doing it that both fingers and toes be- 
came numb with the cold. When the water supply 
became too low to allow use of the washing troughs 
the men were forced to use buckets, pans and other 
iivailable receptacles in washing their clothes, though 
during the cold weather this work became so difficult 
that most of them ''passed it up," preferring to remain 
dirty instead of attempting to wash under such try- 
ing conditions. 

One reason why this work became so difficult was 
that there was a lack of heating facilities in camp; 
only one or two stoves, — and they were little ones — 



136 



Trail of the 61st 



were supplied to each billet, and even after they were 
secured fuel could not be furnished to use in them. 
During the last month or two in camp it became al- 
most impossible to secure any fuel and what little the 
men did get was of such poor quality that it was 
almost impossible to build fires with it. The chief 
fuel used was French coal, an extremely poor substi- 
tute for the American coal which the men had been 




Billets of the 131st F. A. This snapshot was taken on a day when the rain 
had slackened, for a considera.hle amount of washing is shown on the buildings, 
where it had been put out to dry. 

accustomed to using in the camps at home. This bi- 
tuminous French substance somewhat resembled 
American coal, but the resemblance was only in ap- 
pearance, for its heating qualities could not be likened 
in any sense to our good, honest coal. The men had 
to coax the fires to burn even slightly when using 
French coal, and at no time were they able to make 
really hot fires with it. The cooks quickly learned 



Camp de Coetquidan 137 

that they couldn't prepare meals with this fuel, so 
they secured wood for their stoves and were there- 
fore able to prepare their meals with good fires. 

Camp de Coetquidan was well supplied with Y. 
M. C. A. huts and other war organization buildings. 
There were three Y. M. C. A. buildings for enlisted 
men and one for officers, several Red Cross buildings, 
and a K. C. hut or two. The men universally patron- 
ized the Y. M. C. A. buildings where they spent their 
evenings and other spare moments in reading books, 
writing letters home and in playing games. The "Y" 
came to be the congregating place for the men and if 
one soldier wanted to see another, he usually arrar.ged 
to do so during some evening at the **Y." Moreover, 
the Y. M. C. A. huts were especially popular because 
men were allowed to purchase foodstuffs there 

Much criticism has been offered against the Y. M. 
C. A. in France, especially against the manner in which 
it sold products, but the history of its activities in Coet- 
quidan does not furnish ground for serious criticism. 
It is true the men had to pay good prices for the food 
they bought at the huts and they were often unable to 
understand why such prices were being charged, but 
aside from a few disgruntled individuals the general 
work of the Y. M. C. A. was satisfactory and pleas- 
ing to the men of the 61st Brigade. 

The building that competed more nearly than any 
other with the Y. M. C. A. huts was the commissary, 
where soldiers were allowed to purchase candy, cigar- 
ettes, cakes, etc. Since the regular food served to them 
was not seasoned as highly with sugar as they had 
been accustomed to receiving in the United States, they 
craved large amounts of candy and appeared daily at 
the Commissary and formed long lines to take their 



138 



Trail of the 61st 



turn at the counters. But a box of candy didn't last 
very long when a soldier got it, for he was usually so 
hungry for sweets that he managed to make away with 
it in a day or two — or in an evening, for that matter. 
Of course, a large amount of this candy was distrib- 
uted among friends, so that by the time he had shared 
with them he had very little left. 




A French "seventy-five" in repose. The 61st drilled with the "seventy-flve" 
while in France and became so proficient with it that the French instructors 
who were assigned to the brigade said the men were better artillerymen with 
the 75 than Frenchmen were. It is a beautiful piece and can shoot with the 
best guns in the world. 

During the first few days spent in Coetquidan, 
the technical rudiments of French artillery firing 
were taught to the men through various schools which 
Vv'ere established for instruction in Orientation, Liai- 
son, Materiel and Signalling. French methods of ar- 
tillery fire were so different from American methods 
that the men soon realized they must apply them- 



Camp de Coetquidan 139 

selves earnestly if they were to master their new 
work. 

Actual firing on the range was not begun until 
thev latter part of September, when the troops were 
given an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge 
they had acquired. The first results of their fire were 
extremely unsatisfactory but within a short time they 
learned to prepare proper firing data and were able 
to make a very creditable showing. 

For four weeks all of the artillery units were 
kept constantly on the range at firing practice and 
toward the close of October they had so far mastered 
their work as to elicit enthusiastic praise from their 
French instructors. These Americans had come to 
France without any knowledge of French guns or 
French artillery but in this short length of time they 
had been able to produce firing results that seemed 
nothing short of marvelous to their admiring French 
instructors. They had done really fine work and de- 
served the praise they received. 

Training on the range was closed by a brigade prob- 
lem, fired on the night of October 22, when all of the 
units of the brigade occupied the range. The problem 
as nearly resembled actual warfare as was possible to 
develop and all types of firing which the men had 
learned to execute during their training period, were 
used. Fire for effect, fire for demolition, and barrage 
fire were given their place in the night's activities. To 
the men who participated, the experiences of the night 
were long to be remembered as being the nearest ap- 
proximation to actual warfare on the front that they 
saw while in the service. 

After the problem each regiment was inspected 
and approved by General Stephens. He reported that 



140 



Trail of the 61st 



the Brigade was in condition for service at the Front 
and both men and officers expected to be quickly or- 
dered to some active sector at the front. But all of 
these hopes and plans remained unrealized, as the 
signing of the Armistice on November 11th removed 
the need for fighting troops. 




Swabbing the piece after several sliots. The 75, dependable if kept clean 
but highly dangerous if allowed to become very dirty, is supposed to be cleaned 
after every sixth shot. 

During the time the artillery units were being 
trained on the range, the 111th Ammunition Train and 
111th Trench Mortar Battery had been busily engaged 
in training their men for battle. A strenuous schedule 
of work had been outlined by the commanders of both 
organizations and the men were kept busily engaged in 
meeting these schedules. A great amount of close 
order and extended drill was given and the men were 
hardened by long hikes. Gas drill and signalling 
were also emphasized. 



Camp de Coetquidaji 141 

Shortly after the 61st arrived at Coetquidan the 
weather, which had been beautiful up to this time, 
changed and from then until the Brigade returned to 
America it was bothered by constant rains. Very 
few days passed without rain and when such days did 
come the men marveled, wondering how in the worM 
they could have been so fortunate as to have escaped 
the usual daily deluge. At first the rain annoyed the 
men more than it did later, but wet clothing remained 
a matter of much concern throughout the time spent in 
Coetquidan. The atmosphere was so damp that it was 
almost impossible to dry clothes and the only effective 
plan to meet the conditions was that adopted by a num- 
ber of soldiers who built hot fires in their billets and sat 
by the stoves until the clothes were dried. But the long- 
er the soldiers remained in France the less thought 
they gave to the weather; they soon learned that even 
though they did frequently become wet there was 
little damage to be feared from it. Colds and hoarse- 
ness became prevalent, but they grew accustomed to 
these little annoyances and thought nothing of them; 
they executed their business whether it was done in 
rain or sunshine and apparently were as well satisfied 
in the one case as in the other. 

Practically the only source of amusement in Coet- 
quidan was that afforded by the **drag", as it was 
called. The *'drag" was a series of stores and selling 
booths erected along the road leading to the main en- 
trance of the camp. Almost all kinds of small articles 
could be purchased in these stores and the men fre- 
quented them freely to buy food and drinks. Because 
of the great number of potatoes served to the soldiers 
at several places along the road, the whole place was 
finally dubbed, 'Totato Alley." 



142 Trail of the 61st 

The men flocked to Potato Alley in such num- 
bers that during the evenings it resembled the busy 
thoroughfare of some thriving American city. The 
buildings in which food was sold were always 
filled with a large crowd of men, so tightly packed and 
jammed that the purchase of food became a process 
of great exertion and difficult of success. Grapes, nuts, 
jellies and similar delicacies were bought from the 
P>ench vendors so rapidly that these people were un- 
able to fill the orders as fast as they were given, 
eight or ten soldiers often trying to get the same 
article as it was sold. 

The French people are great merchants, and they 
quickly showed their spirit of commercialism by 
rapidly changing prices in 'Totato Alley" when the 
Americans arrived. When U. S. troops first reached 
Coetquidan they were lavish with their money, almost 
universally refusing to take change from the French 
saleswomen when making purchases of less than half 
a franc. For instance, a soldier upon being tendered 
ten or fifteen centimes as change on a half franc 
transaction would in the usual American fashion say, 
'Oh, just keep the change." This extravagant habit 
i^oon convinced the shrewd French women that they 
were selling their commodities too cheaply to the 
soldiers and they immediately raised the prices so no 
change was required in the sale of most articles. They 
rallied some prices as much as thirty-five or forty 
centimes per article, if they were of slight value, and 
as much as five francs or multiples thereof, if the 
articles were expensive. 

But the freedom of "Potato Alley" was taken 
from the soldiers a few weeks after their arrival in 
camp, for so much bickering and quarreling over 
prices and so many free-for-all fights took place be- 



Camp de Coetquidan 



143 




An airplane picture of Camp de Coetquidan, France. The large building 
just beyond the fourth row on the left is where Brigade Headquarters was estab- 
lished. The large buildings, six in number on the right, were the hospital 
quarters, or rather, three were used as hospital buildings and three as bar- 
racks by the 132d Regiment. 



144 



Trail of the 61st 



tween them and the French people that the authori- 
ties deemed it prudent to refuse the soldiers admit- 
tance to the place. Moreover, as camp life in Coet- 
quidan became more monotonous and the soldiers tired 
of the daily grind of training, they indulged more 
freely in stronger wines and liquors that they pur- 
chased on the ''drag," and the officers concluded that 
the general efficiency and safety of the brigade would 




A rest period on one of the long hikes that were made near Coetquidan. 
After the signing of the Armistice it became customary for all units of the brigade 
to take as many hikes as possible in order to keep the men entertained. 

be better preserved by keeping the men away from the 
drinking places. An order was therefore issued pro- 
hibiting all men of the 61st Brigade from spending any 
time on the "drag" unless they had business there 
and could show proper authority for being "out of 
bounds." 

After this, the soldiers were cooped up in their 
billets, and amused themselves only by sports of their 



Camp de Coetquidan 145 

own making. The most popular pastime was gam- 
bling, and even though orders were issued prohibiting 
crap shooting and poker playing, lovers of these games 
paid little attention to the orders. Thousands of 
dollars were transferred from player to player, ac- 
cording to the fortune or skill of the men engaged in 
the games, and some men, who made gambling their 
chief business while in the army, reaped wonderful 
harvests from their less skillful comrades, one of these 
''sharks" being known to have sent home several thou- 
sand dollars he had won while in the army. 

On the 13th of September a group of fifteen en- 
listed men were sent to the Saumur Artillery School, 
Saumur, France, to study for commissions. And on 
the first of October another group was sent to Sau- 
mur for the same purpose. Each month thereafter, 
until the armistice was signed, fifteen men were sent 
to school, until a total of sixty-five or seventy men were 
sent from the brigade. Work at Saumur was excep- 
tionally fine. The school had been used for military 
training since 1735; it had been a cavalry school 
until the entrance of America into the war when it 
was converted into an Artillery School and placed at 
the disposal of American troops as a school for train- 
ing artillery officers. Before the first group of men 
from the 61st had finished their three months' course 
in Saumur the armistice was signed and, though prac- 
tically all of them received diplomas of graduation 
from the institution, none was commissioned. They 
returned to Coetquidan, where they rejoined their 
various organizations at the same rank they held at 
the time they were sent to Saumur, and became a 
part of the large class of disappointed ofl^cer candi- 
dates, known throughout the A. E. F. as 3rd lieuten- 
ants, or Dove Tails. 



146 



Trail of the 61st 



The advanced school detachment which left Camp 
Bowie July 1st, arriving in France about two weeks 
before the remainder of the brigade, was met at Coet- 
quidan by the brigade on September 6th, and the 
members of the detachment returned to their old or- 
ganizations. These men were used for special work 
in the branches of service for which they had been 




The airplane which was demolished in Coetquidan during the foot hall game 
between two regiments, when the pilot attempted to fly too close to the ground 
while watching the game and lost cmtrol of n>.; r'ucnine. crasliinfi into a truck 
filled with soldiers. The plane was utterly ruined and one soldier was slightly 
hurt but no other damage resulted from tlie accident. 

trained and proyed of much assistance in training the 
Brigade for the front. 

After the signing of the armistice the bottom fell 
out of things as far as the soldiers were concerned 
and all interest in military work was lost. The men 
knew that they would never be called upon to do any 
fighting and they could not see why they should be 
forced to continue training. What work they were 
compelled to do was done by them in a half-hearted. 



Camp de Coetquidan 147 

loose manner, for no one attempted to put much ef- 
fort into his work. 

About this time the troops began playing football 
and it rapidly became one of the most popular sports 
in camp. Practically all of the units produced teams 
which practiced diligently, and these teams met on 
the gridiron in several pitched battles to decide the 
championship of the Brigade. The rooters for each 
team supported their players in an enthusiastic man- 
ner, and flooded the grounds, even interfering with 
the players, in attempts to get closer to their favorites 
while they were engaged in the games. The champion- 
ship was decided by an elimination game between the 
Ammunition Train and the 131st Regiment, the latter 
winning a hard-fought victory. 

Soldiers of the brigade were not the only in- 
terested spectators of the football games, for aviators 
from the flying field near camp, flew over the football 
field on several occasions, keeping their machines hov- 
ering at a safe height above the crowd, but low 
enough to allow the aviators to watch the games. 
During one game an aviator apparently became so 
interested in the contest that he did not direct his 
machine as carefully as he should have done, and in 
attempting to dip close to the ground, lost control of 
his plane and collied with a truck in which were 
standing a large number of soldiers, who were thrown 
about and bruised more or less severely by the col- 
lision. 

Had the men in the truck not used judgment and 
dropped flat on the bottom of the truck as the plane 
struck the top of the frame and slid along it, they 
would have been crushed beneath the wreck. As it 
was, however, only a few were hurt and none of them 



148 



Trail of the 61st 



seriously, except one man from Brigade Headquarters 
who was knocked unconscious for some time. The 
plane was utterly demolished, though the truck was 
practically undamaged. Of the two aviators in the 
plane, one was injured to such an extent that he was 
conveyed to a hospital but the other was entirely un- 
scathed and was immediately placed in another plane 




A Battery of 132d men at drill inspection on the rocky drill grounds near 
Coetquidaji. Before leaving for America the soldiers of the 61st became 
thoroughly skilled in drill and were said by inspectors to comprise one of the 
finest drilled organizations in the A. E. F. 

which left the field before many of the soldiers knew 
what had happened. 

After the accident, the soldiers eagerly pressed 
about the demolished plane to secure pieces of it as 
souvenirs, and that evening they were to be seen walk- 
ing about their billets proudly displaying the souve- 
nirs they had been so fortunate as to have secured. 
It is an amusing fact that not one in a hundred of 
these soldiers had a vestige of the plane in their pos- 



Camp de Coetquidan 149 

session by the time they had arrived in America. 
This fate was common to all souvenirs, for that mat- 
ter; for regardless of how carefully they had been 
procured from time to time, the limited facilities for 
carrying such articles restricted the men in their 
efforts to get them home. 

The French roads, hard surfaced and smoothly 
iinished, appealed to motorcycle riders and automobile 
drivers, who took delight in racing their machines 
over them. Many a race between motorcycles took 
place on these roads and such races often resulted in 
hairbreadth escapes from dangerous situations which 
developed unexpectedly because of the unfamiliarity 
of the riders with the roads. It was no unusual sound 
to hear the deep, vibrant hum of pulsing motors as 
two or three daredevil soldiers on motorcycles, raced 
madly down French roads, the exhilaration of the 
race entirely overcoming the sanity of the riders, who 
were intent upon winning their contests regardless 
of the dangers involved in such a task. 

In one such race, between two men from Brigade 
headquarters, the contest lay over a straight stretch 
of road which led down a slightly sloping hill to a 
stretch of level road below. The two racers thought 
from the appearance of the road that they had an 
ideal race track before them and therefore threw open 
the throttles of their engines to get a maximum speed. 
The machines literally flew over the fine road, gaining 
such momentum by the time they had reached thp 
level stretch that they were making a speed of sixty 
or seventy miles an hour. Without realizing how 
rapidly they were traveling or how far they had come, 
the men continued the race on and on until they had 
passed the level ground and had entered a more un- 
even part of the road, which, instead of continuing 



150 



Trail of the 61st 



straight forward, began to show turns and roughness 
ahead. They did not heed this warning, but, lost in 
the pleasure of the race, proceeded onward until the 
leading man was confronted with a sharp turn in the 
road, overlooking a precipice with a sheer drop of 
about thirty or forty feet. He was traveling at such 
a rate of speed, however, that he could not turn his 




The grave of Brigadier General John E. Stephens in the American ceme- 
tery near Coetouidan. The grave lies nea- others occupied by American 
soldiers, some of whom were former members of the 61st F. A. 

machine promptly enough and was precipitated over 
the cliff, and his motorcycle struck a tree a few feet 
from the ground below. He was thrown violently 
against the tree and the machine crumpled over him, 
pinioning him to the ground, and leaving him in an 
unconscious state. 

The second driver realized that something was 
wrong, when he saw his friend drop from sight, and 
he was warned to meet the sharp turn in the road, 
which he safely passed. He did not get his machine 



Camp de Coetquidan 151 

stopped, however, until he had traveled a considerable 
distance beyond the point of accident, and when he 
returned to see what had happened to his comrade he 
was unable to descend at that point and was forced 
to continue on up the road to a point where he could 
descend to the valley. He quickly effected this de- 
scent, and hastened to his fallen friend, whom he 
found pinioned in such a manner that it was impos- 
sible to remove him without help. Confronted with this 
dilemma, he quickly returned to his motorcycle and 
sped away to secure help from nearby soldiers who, 
as soon as they heard of the accident, hurried to the 
assistance of the injured man. They had some diffi- 
culty in releasing him from the motorcycle, and when 
they did get him free they found that he had been, 
severely burned by the motor, which had rested on his 
back and thigh so long that his flesh had been burned 
to the bone and the bone itself badly damaged. They 
also learned that he had sustained other serious in- 
juries from his fall, as both his collar bone and his 
shoulder were broken by the impact of his body with 
the tree. 

But motorcycle accidents were rare and they 
afforded the men only occasional excitement. It took 
Thanksgiving Day to really arouse the camp. This 
day saw Coetquidan prepared for the usual American 
custom; every organization served a "feed," the like 
of which the soldiers of the 61st had not seen 
for months and months. A few days previous to 
Thanksgiving, mess sergeants scoured the surround- 
ing country for food, and turkeys, chickens, pigs and 
other live animals were brought to camp in consider- 
able numbers. Likewise, motorcycle and trucks were 
sent out in the country for food and they came back 
loaded with fruits and vegetables. 



152 



Trail of the 61st 



The men entered into the spirit of Thanksgiving 
with more zest than ever before, for they were so far 
away from home and had been so restricted in the 
amount and grade of food they had received in France 
that they opened their pocketbooks and gave freely of 
their francs and centimes for the purchase of "eats." 
Moreover, the cooks were impressed with the import- 




German prisoners who were used at Coetquidan chiefly for road building 
and other rough work about the camp. 

ance of their positions on this occasion and responded 
magnificently to the requests of their comrades that 
they put forth every effort in the preparation of good 
dishes of food. They baked pies and cakes galore; 
they worked until late at night in cleaning fowls and 
in getting their meats properly prepared for the big 
dinner; and they tried in every conceivable way to 
make a success of Thanksgiving Day, 

When the men were seated at the long tables, on 
which in many instances some kind of dishes, either 



Camp de Coetquidan 153 

paper or granite, had been set, and saw the many 
steaming plates of splendidly prepared food, they *'fell 
to" and did prodigious deeds of valor in consuming 
vast amounts of food. But regardless of the enormity 
of their appetites, in most instances, no man was 
turned away hungry. 

Several organizations were not so fortunate as to 
have tables on which to serve Thanksgiving dinner 
and were forced to follow the ordinary method of 
feeding the soldiers. The day, as usual, was rainy 
and these organizations ate their meals in the rain, 
but this inconvenience caused them little worry, since 
by this time they had become entirely accustomed to 
rain. No doubt, the meal tasted just about as good to 
them served in this manner as it did to the more 
fortunate ones who were seated at tables, though had 
they been told a few months before that such a 
thing was possible they would have received the in- 
formation with disdain and unbelief. 

Probably the most elaborate Thanksgiving meal 
served by any organization was that of Brigade head- 
quarters, where the men of that detachment col- 
lected a special mess fund of over seven hundred 
francs for their Thanksgiving dinner. No better 
meal than the one served to them could have been 
purchased anywhere outside of the States. They had 
chicken, eggs, country butter, lettuce, cabbage, grapes, 
apples and pears; and wine of two or three varieties 
also formed a part of the menu, this phase of the meal 
serving to enliven the occasion. The toastmaster was 
Sergeant Kent Watson, Headquarters Company, 133rd 
Regiment, and music was furnished by the quartet 
from the 111th Ammunition Train. The supper, com- 
mencing at 7:30 p. m., was served in family style by 
the cooks, and closed at 11 :00 p. m. 



154 



Trail of the 61st 



After Thanksgiving Day routine barrack life 
was again resumed. The artillerymen were sent on 
all day mounted hikes, in which batteries with full 
equipment were moved out a few miles from camp 
to assist in the establishment of make-believe offen- 
sive Dositions. Men of the Ammunition Train and 




All ready for their return home. A Battery of the 131st F. A. in Coetquidan. 

Trench Mortar organizations and such artillerymen as 
remained in camp, passed the time in doing drills and 
routine camp duty. 

It was soon learned by the authorities that the 
only safe plan for the men, now that the armistice 
was signed and incentive for work was removed, w^s 
to keep them as busily occupied as possible with inter- 
esting drills or other engaging work. They put this 
plan into effect and the men had very little time dur- 
ing the days to get homesick and were too tired dur- 
ing the evenings to think about anything except re- 



Camp de Coetquidan 155 

tiring early. But regardless of this special effort on 
the part of the officers, a great wave of homesickness 
swept over the camp and the men longed to return to 
their homes and to business occupations, realizing 
that every hour spent in France was a loss to them 
and to Uncle Sam since they could not render any 
further useful service to their government. 

It seemed, however, that General Headquarters 
had a different idea about the usefulness of this bri- 
gade, for on December 18th orders were received to 
entrain for Is-sur-til, in the St. Mihiel sector. Prepara- 
tions were immediately made to comply with 'this 
order but within a few days it was countermanded by 
another order which provided for the early departure 
of the brigade for home. The first order was received 
sullenly by the men, who believed that they were 
being ordered to become a part of the Army of Occu- 
pation, but the second order was received with a 
burst of enthusiastic approval that made the camp 
ring with cheers. 

Immediate steps were taken for the turning in 
of all equipment, which was accomplished by Janu- 
ary 1st, only that with which the Brigade embarked 
at Hoboken being retained. The work of turning 
over the equipment to the S. 0. S., while being highly 
difficult, was cheerfully accomplished by the happy 
men who imagined they could see themselves ap- 
proaching home more closely as each article was 
turned in. 

But for some unaccountable reason the order pro- 
viding for the early departure of the Brigade failed 
to arrive at the expected time and days dragged into 
weeks and weeks into months before it did come. At 
first, the soldiers were optimistic, and expected the 



156 Trail of the 61st 

order to arrive at any day, but after being disap- 
pointed for a week or two, they became pessimistic, 
and morosely concluded that they were to undergo the 
same heartbreaking delay that they had experienced 
at Camp Bowie. 

The gloomy weather, too, with its daily rains, 
which by this time had made the camp a veritable 
mud wallow, aided in keeping the spirits of the men 
at a low ebb; with their mail tied up and all of their 
equipment turned in, they had very little to occupy 
their minds and moped about their barracks day after 
day, impotently cursing and vowing that Uncle Sam 
would have to show an unusual burst of speed if he 
was ever able to catch them again for the army. They 
were homesick and disgusted with everything about 
the army, and the A. E. F. in particular. 

To add to the gloom of the already dismal camp. 
General Stephens was sent to the camp hospital on 
December 30th with influenza. At first he did not 
seem to be dangerously ill but his case rapidly grew 
worse and developed into lobar-pneumonia, of which 
he died, January 4, 1919. 

John E. Stephens, of the regular army, though 
a strict disciplinarian and champion of efficiency 
among his officers, was beloved by his enlisted men 
for the deep interest he always took in their welfare 
and for the just manner in which he governed them. 
During all of the time he was commander of the 61st 
Brigade he was constantly solicitous of the welfare of 
his men and attempted at all times to make camp as 
comfortable for them as possible. He demanded re- 
spect from both officers and men in the 61st Brigade 
but was always human in his demands. Immediately 
after the armistice was signed he petitioned General 
Headquarters to allow the men of his Brigade to visit 



Camp de Coetquidan 157 

the Brittany leave area at St. Milo and just before 
his death, while he was sick at the hospital, he unduly- 
exposed himself because of his anxiety to make sure 
that this privilege, which was being unaccountably 
withheld from his men, was renewed and kept in 
force. 

His funeral was held in camp at 5 o'clock p. m. 
January 7, all military work being suspended during 
that time. The guard of honor chosen for the funeral, 
consisted of twenty-five non-commissioned officers. 
JThe escort consisted of a provisional four-battalion 
regiment composed of two batteries each from the 
131st F. A., the 132rd F. A. and the 133rd F. A., two 
companies from the 111th Ammunition Train and one 
battery from the 141st F. A., this escort carrying the 
standard and colors of the 132nd. 

Six sergeants from the Brigade were selected as 
pallbearers and two colonels and two lieutenant- 
colonels were chosen as honorary pallbearers. Music 
was furnished by the massed bands of the three regi- 
ments in the Brigade. 

During the march, eleven minute guns were fired 
and the ceremony at the grave included a salute of 
eleven guns firing three volleys of one round each. 

The following oration was made at the grave of 
General Stephens by General D'Amade, Commander, 
Tenth Legion, French Army: 

"Commanding the Tenth Legion, I come to bring 
the tribute of my country to General Stephens. 

**He left his native land to fight and die among 
so many gallant soldiers whose blood has reddened 
the soil of France. 

"He died prematurely as a soldier, performing 
his duty in training his men. His place is right here 



158 Trail of the 61st 

among them, in this small military graveyard where 
France will mount guard over them all. 

''General, you died far from your kin, and sleep 
your last sleep in French soil, close to the sea where 
twice a day the tide will bring you the loving remem- 
brance of your family and bear to them the assurance 
that your dear remains will be piously guarded over 
by those whom you came to rescue." 

Shortly after the death of General Stephens, 
Colonel Otho Farr, a regular army officer from the 
Verdun front, was assigned to the 61st Brigade as its 
commander, assuming command January 10, 1919. 
Colonel Farr made no marked changes in the organi- 
zation of the Brigade but continued it along the same 
lines and under the same plans as commenced by 
General Stephens. He came to the Brigade at a time 
when the organization was in the throes of uncer- 
tainty about leaving for home, and he did not have 
an opportunity of demonstrating his fighting ability. 
He conducted the affairs of the Brigade in a business- 
like, successful manner, which resulted in smooth, 
satisfactory life in camp. 

A short time later. Captain MacGavin, from the 
staff if the Chief of Artillery, A. E. F., came to the 
Brigade for the purpose of returning home with it. 
At that time it was understood that the Brigade 
would leave shortly for the states, and Captain Mac- 
Gavin had been sent to Coetquidan to join the Brigade 
in order to leave for home at arl early date. He was 
placed in Brigade Headquarters, relieving Lieut. Wil- 
liams, Brigade Personnel Adjutant, who was trans- 
ferred to headquarters of the Commander of S. 0. S. 
at Tours. Captain MacGavin immediately demon- 
strated his capacity and endeared himself to the whole 



Camp de Coetquidan 



159 



Brigade by the manner in which he conducted himself. 
The Brittany leave area was thrown open to 
men of the 61st during the latter part of December, 
all of the month of January and a part of February, 
and a majority of the men in the Brigade availed 





A street view of Rennes, France, showing tlie canal which runs through tlie 
principal part of the old city. Rennes, with a population (estimated) of seventy 
or eighty thousand, was only a short distance from Camp de Coetquidan, but the 
trip over the "narrow guage" usually required two and a. half or three hours 
to make it. After the Armistice was signed, soldiers of the 61st visited Rennes 
frequently to enjoy friend "oeufs," "pomme de tir," "fromage" and "vin rouge," 
besides the pleasure of flirting with French girls. 

themselves of this opportunity to get away from 
camp a short time and to see more of France. Prob- 
ably half of the men in camp visited St. Malo and 
surrounding towns. 

During the last two months the soldiers were sta- 
tioned at Coetquidan, they spent the majority of their 
time in preparing for the journey home, though much 
effort was spent in organizing the different units in 



160 Trail of the 61st 

such a way that all men could be easily located after 
they had arrived jn America and had been mustered 
out of the service. The 131st Regiment perfected an 
organization quite similar to that of a city govern- 
ment and elected a mayor and a board of aldermen 
to conduct the affairs of the regiment. This was 
done primarily for the purpose of being used later as 
the basis of a permanent organization, when the men 
returned to their homes. Several active men in ths 
133rd Regiment conceived the idea of organizing a 
Dallas Club, which they expected to broaden into a 
Texas soldier organization after the Brigade had 
been mustered out of the service in Bowie. They 
effected a close organization, elected officers, and held 
several meetings for the purpose of creating interest 
in their club and for securing the support of the men 
in the regiment. Sergeant Kent Watson was selected 
as publicity manager, and it was understood that he 
was to continue the publication of The Reconnaissance, 
which was to be adopted as the official organ of the 
Dallas Club. The other regiments, though not organ- 
ized quite as definitely as the 131st and 133rd, also de- 
veloped close organizations in preparation for their 
home coming. 

About this time, interest was aroused in the 
preparation of histories, and all of the regiments pre- 
pared to publish histories of their activities in the war. 
The ban was lifted upon the taking of pictures and 
many kodaks were used to secure photographs of the 
camp and the surrounding country; it was really sur- 
prising how many kodak pictures had been taken 
during the war, even though military rules had pro- 
hibited the taking of pictures during that time. After 
the plans for the writing of histories became known, 
the men who had kodak pictures divulged their secrets 



Camp de Coetquidan 



161 



and the historians had no serious difficulty in secur- 
ing sufficient pictures for their works. 

During the entire time the Brigade spent in Coet- 
quidan two regimental papers were published The 
Reconnaissance was published at Headquarters of the 
133rd Regiment and the Trail Log at Headquarters of 
the 131st Regiment. These papers, while containing 
very little news of importance, were received with 




Final A. E. F. inspection of Battery "A," 131st F.A. at Coetquidan. 

appreciation by the soldiers of the two regiments. 
The mimeographed copies of the papers were al- 
ways welcomed by the subscribers. The Stars and 
Stripes, The New York Herald and the Chicago Tri- 
bune came to the camp fairly regularly, but none of 
these papers contained as much interest to the sol- 
diers of the 131st and 133rd Regiments as the regu- 
lar issues of the Reconnaissance and the Trail Log. 
Sergeant Kent Watson edited the Reconnaissance and 



162 Trail of the 61st 

Sergeant Hammil, assisted and later succeeded by 
Sergeant Woodyard, edited the Trail Log. 

About the first of January an order was received 
from G. H. Q. for the Brigade to turn in all horses 
and equipment, the horses to be turned over to the 
64th Brigade, which occupied a part of Camp Coet- 
quidan. The alacrity and joyousness with which 
members of the 61st Brigade complied with this order 
were in direct contrast to the gloom and sorrow with 
which members of the 64th Brigade complied with it. 
Throughout the stay of the 61st Brigade in Coetqui- 
dan, friction had arisen between it and the 64th 
Brigade, and the men of the two organizations seem- 
ingly had been unable to live well together. Many 
fist fights and little skirmishes took place between the 
troops of the two brigades at various times during 
their training period, and officers and men of the two 
organizations did not feel any too kindly toward each 
other. The 64th Brigade was stationed in Coetquidan 
when the 61st arrived there. A short time after the 
signing of the armistice, when troop movements were 
started to the United States, this brigade received 
orders to prepare for the trip home, but due to some 
unknown cause, the order was rescinded, and the 
brigade was held in Coetquid?n without knowing the 
reason why it was so held. When the 61st received 
orders from G. H. Q. to prepare for embarkation and 
the horses of that brigade were started to the 64th, 
the friction between the two organizations became so 
warm that it resulted in a number of encounters and 
from that time until the 61st left camp the men of the 
two organizations did not get along we-1 with each 
other. 

By the latter part of January all equipment of 
the 61st had been turned in, and the organization was 



Camp de Coetquidan 163 

ready to leave for the States, but the order permitting 
the breaking of camp did not arrive until the 18th 
of February, when Brigade Headquarters, the 131st 
F. A., the 111th Trench Mortar Battery and the 111th 
Ammunition Train received orders to prepare for an 
immediate departure. The news of this order spread 
like wild fire over the camp and intense excitement fol- 
lowed. All soldiers were ordered back to camp from 
leave areas and they came straggling in en the fol- 
lowing day. 

On February 20, officers who were to remain in 
France, received orders to report to the various camps 
where they were to be assigned for further duty in 
the A. E. F. Preparation was made throughout the 
Brigade for final inspection, and several organizations 
were inspected that afternoon. 

The morning of February 21st saw most of the 
units marching from Coetquidan and by the 24th the 
entire Brigade had left camp. 



VIII. 

LEAVE AREAS 

After the signing of the armistice and it was 
learned that the 61st Brigade was not to be ordered 
to Is-sur-til, the soldiers had nothing to engage their 
attention except tiresome uninteresting drills. Home- 
sickness, and discontent so threatened the camp that 
General Stephens began the attempt to secure a leave 
area for his men. He communicated with G. H. Q. 
about the matter and by the middle of December re- 
ceived authority to send a certain number of men 
each day to the St. Malo leave area, on the English 
Channel near the Shetland Islands. 

Memoranda were immediately issued to the 
brigade units, authorizing organization commanders 
to choose a certain number of men each day for the 
leave area, and all men so chosen were required to 
have the sum of one hundred and fifty francs in their 
possession. It was deemed inadvisable to send men 
away on leave without money, even when all living ex- 
penses were to be furnished. 

After the Brigade memorandum was issued about 
one hundred men assembled each day at Brigade head- 
quarters, where they received passes for the trip to 
St. Malo and were loaded into trucks and hauled to 
Guer to board French trains for Rennes. Arriving 
at Rennes, they were properly checked out of that 
town by the Assistant Provost Marshal and continued 
on their way until they reached the old town of St. 
Malo. 

(164) 



Leave Areas 



165 



They detrained here but were held at the station 
by officers of the leave area until all arrangements 
had been perfected for their entrance into the town. 
They were examined by physicians, their clothes were 
inspected and they received explicit instructions about 
their deportment while on leave. They learned where 




The train that run from Rennes to Guer passed through Camp de Coetquidan 
and men from camp rode on it frequently on their trips to Rennes. It was the 
slowest thing in France and was pulled by such diminutive engines that the 
boys sometimes had to get out of the coaches and push in order to help it get over 
the steep hills. The picture shows how small and poorly equipped the cars were 
for accommodating travelers. This was one road that onmpelled the men to 
buy tickets when riding on it, though they were able to ride almost anywhere 
else in France without paying for their tickets. 

and in what manner they were to be housed and fed 
and other information considered necessary in mak- 
ing them thoroughly familiar with the leave area and 
its regulations. 

After these preliminaries, which occupied about 
two or three hours, they were lined up, assigned to 
certain hotels, for which they received entrance tick- 
ets, and were placed under the guidance of soldiers 



166 Trail of the 61st 

who directed them to their proper destinations and 
saw to it that they were satisfactorily located there. 

The leave area included the quaint old towns of 
St. Malo, built on an island of solid rock and sur- 
rounded by a sea wall noted all over France for its 
impregnability; Parame, which is connected with St. 
Malo by a causeway known as "Sillion/' and is a very 
beautiful old city containing many spots and buildings 
of historical interest; St. Servan, which lies beyond 
the other port of St. Malo, on the bay at the foot of a 
rocky promontory ; and Dinard which has a coast line 
of striking variety and beauty, and which for years 
has been a leading pleasure resort for tourists and 
wealthy Frenchmen. Dinard lies across the bay from 
St. Malo. 

The soldiers were divided among the four towns, 
and were placed in the best hotels, where they were 
served well-cooked, appetizing food and received the 
accommodations of welcome guests, this service hav- 
ing been made possible by the United States Govern- 
ment which paid the hotel keepers regular rates for 
each soldier while he was lodged in their hotels. 

When the men arrived at the hotels they were 
"shown up" by dainty French maids who ushered 
them into cheerful, clean rooms where their wonder- 
ing eyes beheld old-fashioned, thick feather beds with 
white coverlets and pillow cases. They took just one 
look at these beds and decided that they were amply 
repaid for all of the inconveniences they had suffered 
in reaching this spot. They were informed that meals 
were served in the dining rooms from eleven to one 
o'clock and from five o'clock until seven o'clock each 
day and that breakfast would be served to them in 
their rooms before they arose if they so desired. 



Leave Areas 



167 



After quickly washing the stains of their journey 
from faces and hands, they proceeded promptly to the 
dining rooms, which proved to be highly attractive. 
Tables, either for two or four people, covered with 
white linens and decorated with vases of at- 
tractive flowers, waited in uneven order for them; 
and white-aproned waitresses completed the pret- 
ty picture. They seated themselves at the tables 




A high wave breaking over the seal wall at St. Malo, France, which is built 
upon a rocky island in the English Channel and is protected' by the wonderful 
sea wall, shown in the foreground. 

and were served their first satisfying, respectable meal 
since they had been in France. Beginning with a 
course of some relish, they were presented with an ap- 
petizing five-course meal that left nothing for the ap- 
petite to desire. 

As soon as they had completed their first meal, 
most of them found their way to the "Y," which, in 
most of the towns, was a building that had been used 



168 Trail of the 61st 

before the war as a casino. They were greeted here by 
opportunities for enjoyment which they had never 
dreamed possible to be found in France. If they de- 
sired to dance they found willing French girls who 
were kept at the casino to dance with them, and good 
music and a polished floor awaiting their entrance into 
the gaiety ; if they desired to play games an abundant 
supply of all kinds lay ready for their use; or if 
they desired good books to read their desires were sat- 
isfied by a large library which was near at hand ; rea- 
sonable amusements of all kinds were open to them. 

Each evening they were entertained in the audi- 
toriums of the casinos by wonderful shows and every 
day they were taken on excursion to places of interest 
by Y. M. C. A. men who were thoroughly familiar 
with the points to be seen and who intelligently de- 
scribed them. The excursions proved to be the life of 
the leaye area, for after the soldiers had been there 
for two or three days and had become thoroughly rested 
and caught up with their sleep, they eagerly em- 
braced the opportunity of visiting the many points of 
historic interest in the old towns and their environs. 

Excursions were made to Dinan, where Queen 
Anne had built her castle and had lived for so many 
years ; to Mont St. Michel, one of the wonders of 
Europe for its site and its gothic, religious and mili- 
tary architecture; to St. Lunaire, a frequented bath- 
ing place; and to many other points of interest, such 
as St. Briac, the Chateau of the Guildo, St. Cast and 
Cape Frehel. 

But of all the places visited on the excursions, 
Mont St. Michel was by far the most interesting. This 
old Monastery is located on an isolated rock one mile 
from the seashore and sits more than two hundred 



Leave Areas 



169 



feet above the level of the water. According to legend 
it was founded by order of the Archangel Michael in 
the year 709, by St. Aubert, Bishop of Abranches. 

The following extracts from Stoddard Dewey's 
description of the old Castle gives some insight into 
its wonderful beauty and attractiveness : 




Crossing from Dinard to St. Malo in one of the little harbor ferries. A 
bea.utiful and most enjoyable trip for lialf a franc. 

"The view across the bay is, to the east, on Nor- 
mandy, and to the west, on Brittany. * * * * 
* The high ramparts, dating before and after four- 
teen hundred, form an outer circle around the habita- 
tions of the island and are strengthened by towers and 
bastions, * * * The ramblings of the abbey oc- 
cupy the whole upper rock, into which indeed they 
are often built; and above all, rises the modern spire 
of the church with the gilt statute of the Archangel 
Michael * * *^ r^^iQ abbey is surrounded by bat- 
tlemented walls, through which single entrance is the 
fortified gate under the donjon between two tur- 
rets * * *" 



170 Trail of the 61st 

The point of next importance to St. Malo was 
Dinan. Historical features and many points of interest 
were visited by the soldiers in Dinan, yet one of the 
most memorable features of their excursion there was 
the wonderful five-course dinner served to them at an 
old French hotel. The men had never before seen such 
a meal in France, and very few of them had seen such 
a meal even in America. They carried away the mem- 
ory of the great dining hall, the long white-clothed 
tables, and the beautiful dishes of steaming food, as 
one of the fine things of their stay in the leave area. 

In the words of Dewey, again, let us describe 
Dinan : 

"Dinan, up the river Ranee (18 miles south of 
St. Malo), which offers very picturesque landscapes 
as the river narrows and expands in successive lakes, 
has its name from ancient hermits of St. Anthony * 
* * The best point of view is the tower of St. Cath- 
erine in the Square of The Duchess Anne, which forms 
a terrace over the valley * * *. In front is th^ 
interesting church of St. Sauver which has a Roman- 
esque portal and right side, but a flamboyant Gothic 
left side extending in to the upper part of the facade. 
The Romanesque side is worth studying inside and 
out for its twelfth-century carving « * * ^ jj^. 
tie way from the church through streets with old 
houses, the slate covered Clock Tower still rings a 
bell given by Queen Anne of Brittainy in 1507." 

Most of the casinos, in which the Y. M. C. As. 
were quartered, had interesting histories, the one at 
Dinard being especially interesting because of the 
American connection with it. It was said that one 
evening when Harry K. Thaw was spending a se^soji 
in Dinard and was gambling in the High Life casino 
he was so lucky as to win the casino. The next 
evening, however, his good fortune forsook him and 



Leave Areas 



171 



he not only gambled away the casino, but also lost 
an additional $18,000. 

The High Life casino at Dinard is one of the 
most famous gambling halls in Europe. It has been 
said that before the war most of the noblemen and 
wealthy people of France came to Dinard for their 
gambling in preference to going to Monte Carlo. 




A snapshot of St. Malo and her famous old sea wall. This city hasi been 

prominent in the history of Fra-nce since the Danish invasion. It is congested 

and roughened with age, but contains so many historical spots and buildings 
that it will always be attractive. 

Whether or not this is true, it is an established 
fact that this pleasure resort was a favorite with 
the sporting tourists from America and England, for 
many fine homes and the general appearance of the 
town show the influence of American money. 

Most of the men greatly appreciated the French 
beds on which they slept and the dining service which 
permitted breakfast to be served to them in their 
rooms. They had grown accustomed to the inconven- 



172 



Trail of the 61st 



iences of camp where they received only rough food 
and had to do all of their own work, so the privilege 
of touching a button close beside their beds and there- 
by producing a tinkling of a bell in the distance 
which was followed promptly by the appearance of 
a trim maid who smilingly received their orders for 
breakfast, seemed almost like a change from Hades 



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Parame, France, and her boulevard. The history of Parame dates back to the 
sixth century B. C, and there are some spots on its site tliat are said to have 
been occupied by the Romans. 

to Heaven. They lay cozily in their beds after having 
rung for their breakfasts and with sighs of satisfac- 
tion awaited the second arrival of the maids with trays 
of either steaming coffee, chocolate, or milk, finely flav- 
ored French bread and jam or fruit butter. 

While they ate this enjoyable breakfast, the maids 
busied themselves about the rooms in throwing open 
the shutters, in putting the chairs and disordered arti- 
cles in place and in administering to the men at their 



Leave Areas 173 

meals. These "Femmes de Chambres," women of the 
chamber, were usually bright French lassies, who 
could not do too much for the American soldiers. 
They seemed especially attractive to the men who 
had been in camps for so long and who were home- 
sick for the companionship of women. 

While in the leave area, the men were given 
bathing tickets, which admitted them to special bath 
rooms, where they could take either tub or shower 
baths. Few of these tickets were used, however, even 
though for the past few weeks many of the men had 
been unable to bathe in Camp Coetquidan, for the 
men* were too comfortably located and were having 
too enjoyable a time to be bothered about such an un- 
important thing as bathing. They were having an 
opportunity to rest and to enjoy themselves and they 
refused to mar their good times by undergoing such a 
shock as a bath would surely have produced. 

The men stayed in the leave area for a period of 
several days, when they were assembled at the railroad 
station, checked out by officers and sent back to Camp 
de Coetquidan. Their experiences upon leaving the 
station at St. Malo were very similar to those upon 
their arrival a week before. They were examined 
physically, were checked out according to lists and 
given lectures about the proper attitude they should 
maintain toward the United States government be- 
cause of the fine treatment they had been accorded 
while in the leave area. 

They were then placed on special trains and were 
carried slowly back through Rennes to Guer, where 
they detrained and marched to camp, a happy, satis- 
fied lot of soldiers even though returning to the 
grind of camp life. They had acquired a new appre- 



174 



Trail of the 61st 



elation for their government and the pleasant mem- 
ory of their leaves served as an incentive to work. 

The officers of one or two units were allowed 
to spend their leaves in the famous old border town of 
Nice, where they had the opportunity of crossing 
into Ita]y for a few feet. They visited Monte Carlo, 
cL'mbed the Alps and reveled in the pleasures of fa- 
mous old Nice. 




Parane, France, like St. Malo is surrounded by a high, protecting sea wall, 
but occasionally, as shown in this picture, the great waves of the ocean break 
over and flood its broad top. 



Many men were given leaves to Paris, and 
were thereby able to satisfy their desire to see the 
French capital before leaving France. All who saw 
Paris were greatly impressed with her beautiful, sym- 
metrical buildings, her winding, attractive streets, 
her many points of historical interest and her gaiety. 
They visited the Champ-Ely sees, the Place de Con- 
cord, the Madelaine, the Opera, Notre Dame, Ver- 



Leave Areas 



175 



sailles and many other important historical spots 
until they felt satisfied that they had acquired some 
idea of this most wonderful French city. The sub- 
way of Paris was a revelation to the astonished vis- 
itors because they had no idea that such a transpor- 
tation system was possible in France, where practi- 
cally all of the machinery they had seen was anti- 
quated and unmodern. Though unable to read French, 




St. Malo, looking across the channel from St. Servan. This old city Is 
attractive from all sides but is especially pretty when viewed from St. Servan. 

they found tha subway system so conveniently ar- 
ranged that they were able to easily find their way 
about the city. 

Rennes and Redon, both lying close to Coetqui- 
dan, were made special leave towns for the men of 
the 61st, and forty-eight hour passes were granted 
to these places at practically any time the men chose 
to go. General Stephens believed that his soldiers 
could do better work when they had some enjoyment 



176 Trail of the 61st 

and he saw to it that they were allowed the privilege 
of visiting Rennes and Redon with great frequency. 
Every Sunday many truck loads of soldiers were 
hauled to the two towns, where the men spent the 
day and returned in the evening. 

A few soldiers were allowed passes to the front 
in order to visit relatives or to locate the remains 
of deceased relatives who had fallen on the fields of 




Old forts in the English Chajinel near St. Malo. They are forbidldiing im 
appearance but very interesting because of the rich legends that surround tnem. 
Most of the forts were captured by the Danes in their invasion of northern 
France and have vponderful histories dating from thait time and some of them 
even before. 

battle. Also, a number of men were permitted to 
visit Bourges, the Central Records Office, in order to 
search the records for trace of relatives whom they 
were unable to locate otherwise and had reason to be- 
lieve had been killed in battle. 

During the last month or two of their stay in 
France the men had little complaint to make of the 
manner in which they were treated, for practically 



Leave Areas ^ 111 

the only reason why any man failed to enjoy himself 
was because he lacked funds with which to do so. 
The opportunity to go on leaves was given to all 
men and most of them availed themselves of it and 
went somewhere if only to nearby small towns. 

Regardless of where they went on leaves, how- 
ever, few paid railroad fares while traveling. Ac- 
cording to military rules they were not permitted to 
travel in first-class coaches, but not only did they 
ride in first-class coaches, but they also rode free 
of charge. When a French conductor approached 
them and asked for their fare or told them to move 
to second-class coaches, they invariably answered 
him with a "no compree; no compree" or a "Je ne 
comprend pas," even though they understood perfectly 
what he said. Since he could only argue with them and 
without making any headway, he always gave up the 
task as hopeless and left them where they were 
without collecting their fares. Some men used this 
plan so successfully that they rode several thousand 
miles in France without paying a cent for railroad fare. 



IX. 
ST. NAZAIRE 

The first contingent of home-going troops left 
Coetquidan for Guer at ten o'clock on the morning 
of February 2nd and marched to the station through 
a hard, cold rain. Before entraining they were given 
a send off by a few Y. M. C. A. girls, who had come 
down from camp for this purpose. 

The enlisted men were loaded into box cars of 
the "40 hommes; 8 chevaux" variety, and the officers 
were placed in cars of the first class, while the non-com- 
missioned officers were assigned to cars of the second 
class. The privates and such non-commissioned officers 
as were assigned to the cattle cars used their heavy 
packs for seats and rode on them to St. Nazaire. 

The train left the station only after endless 
switchings and countless stops and the soldiers were 
so affected by this delay that their patience was worn 
thread-bare. The attitude of mind was not relieved 
by the fact that a steady rain poured down and the 
poorly protected box cars soon became thoroughly 
soaked with water. 

Sandwiches of butter and jam had been pro- 
vided for each car, and this food was placed in large 
boxes which were carefully guarded. Long before 
noon, however, hunger assailed the troops and they 
so insistently clamored for food that the boxes were 
opened and the contents were eaten before eleven 
o'clock. 

(178) 



St. Nazaire 179 

By two-thirty p. m. the train arrived at St. Na- 
zaire, which proved to be one of the most unattractive 
cities the soldiers had seen in France, and they de- 
trained with some misgivings. They were marched 
through a part of the town, to a hard surfaced road 
which led away from the town, along the harbor, 
where several large ships could be seen. As the 
men caught their second view of the ocean and the 
salty sea breezes attacked their nostrils, they burst 
forth into mighty cheers. 

They proceeded toward camp, the heavy packs 
soon telling on them, and after they had marched 
about a mile they were halted for a rest, which was 
taken on the edge of a large wall, overlooking the 
harbor. They stopped here a while to watch the 
ocean waves break against the wall and then pro- 
ceded eagerly over a rapidly ascending road to Camp 
No. 2 which was entered with the expectation of finding 
billets where they could settle for the night. They 
had scarcely entered the camp when they were halted, 
and since they were fatigued from the hike, they 
accepted the opportunity to remove their heavy 
packs and to catch a moment's rest. 

They waited in line only a short time when they 
were told to drop their packs and to proceed to a 
mess hall on the crest of a nearby hill. They were 
hungry because of the unusual exertions they had 
undergone during the day and quickly made their 
way to the mess hall where they were served sup- 
per in company with thousands of other troops. 
They were started into the mess hall through a long 
enclosed chute, from which they emerged, with their 
messkits full of food, into a large room filled 
with rough tables before which men stood eating from 
messkits. 



180 

r 



Trail of the 61st 




extPnT/pn^i-/^''i?^'!^?^. ""^ ^*- ^"^'^^^'^"'^ ^"^i l^<^r li^^rbor locks. The locks 
clos'e^y guarded tL-t?"'' ^^^'^ t*''' '''^'' '"' ^"""^ ^'^^ ^"^ wele S 



St. Nazaire 181 

After they had completed the meal and had 
washed their messkits they returned promptly to 
their packs and again lined up according to passenger 
list. They were quickly hustled through an examina- 
tion building, and subjected to a searching examination 
for cooties. Only a few had these little pets, but 
those few were detained for special treatment and 
the remainder were allowed to return to their packs. 

They reshouldered their packs, marched about a 
mile to another camp, known as Camp No. 1, where 
they were promptly taken to a delousing plant, at 
the entrance of which they deposited all of cheir 
valuables in piles and left them there in the care 
of officers who remained outside to guard them. 

Upon entering the delousing plant, they were in- 
structed to unfold their packs, to throw their blan- 
kets into a large pile and to hang all of their clothes 
on individually numbered racks, provided for that 
purpose. These racks which were set on wheels, 
rested on tracks that led into large, air-tight steel 
tanks, where steam was applied to the clothes. With 
all clothes removed and armed with only the pro- 
tection nature afforded them, the men were herded into 
another large room where they were given a iwo- 
minute shower bath, one minute hot and the other 
cold. They left this room and were led into another 
apartment where towels, underwear and socks were 
issued to them. After they had quickly dried them-* 
selves and had donned their underwear, they were 
next taken into a very large room where they re- 
ceived their deloused clothes, which were still damp 
fi-om the steam. They were given a new supply of 
blankets and shelter halves, into which they bun- 
dled their remaining clothes, and were marched out of 
the delousing plant to the barracks assigned to them. 



182 Trail of the 61st 

Both the barracks and the three-decked bunks 
in chem were built of substantial pine. The bunks 
were provided with bedsacks already filled with 
straw and these were quickly covered with blankets. 
The men arranged their equipment conveniently in the 
billets by either piling it under their bedsacks or by 
hanging as much of it as possible along the walls to 
tho rear of their bunks, and were instructed to be 
especially careful about display of their equipment, 
as camp authorities were strict on this point. 

Life in camp at St. Nazaire was anything but 
enjoyable, because all of the troops were under a se- 
vere strain in avoiding anything which could possibly 
keep them from embarking for America immediately. 
Camp rules were so strict that the men had no free- 
dom and remained in their barracks most of the 
time, fearful lest their appearance in other parts 
of the camp might militate against them. They noted 
with uneasiness that the rules under which the camp 
was conducted provided for strict observance of a^l 
military courtesies, that no loud talking while march- 
ing to and from mess was tolerated and that especial 
care must be observed in the cleanliness and order 
of their barracks, and that barracks were to be in- 
spected daily by camp officers. 

They learned that men had been kept in camp 
as long as thirty days for committing such minor 
offenses as failing to properly salute an officer while 
passing him in camp; that whole units had been re- 
tained in camp for thirty days because a few of 
their men had not been as careful in observing military 
regulations as they should have been. 

Moreover, the men were made apprehensive by 
the attitude of their officers, who felt the responsi- 



St. Nazaire 



183 



bility of getting their men safely through the de- 
barkation camp and loaded on ships for home and who 
were therefore more cross and exacting than usual. 
All officers were kept busy meeting requirements of 
the debarkation officers and were so afraid of mak- 
ing some error that they were less patient than they 
otherwise would have been. 

Great care was exercised in marching troops to 
and from mess. Regardless of the weather — whether 




s;'-^ -' .'i-^'?.-- 




A close-up view of the harbor of St. Xazciire, showhiK a number of ocean 
liners docked at the piers. 



sunshiny or stormy — the men were called out of 
their barracks and formed in lines at mess times 
to await orders for proceeding to the mess hall. Often 
they had to stand in the rain for as long as a 
half or three-quarters of an hour before they coiild 
even start to their meals, and after they did get 
started many units were ahead of them and the 
mess halls accommodated troops so slowly that they 



184 Trail of the 61st 

were forced to halt many times before arriving there. 
It sometimes took three-quarters of an hour to make 
the trip. They were not allowed to do any talking 
while in mess formation, but were marched all of 
the way to and from their meals at attention. More- 
over, they could never tell at what hours they were 
to have their meals, because their entrance into the 
mess line was entirely dependent upon the whim of 
mess officers. 

While encamped at St. Nazaire, French money 
WJ>s exchanged for American money and the 
men were delighted to again see the coins from 
tneir nome land. They had been using francs and 
centimes long enough to have grown thoroughly ac- 
customed to them, but they were a pleased lot of 
men to exchange their French coins for dollars and 
cents. When they had received American money 
they felt themselves to be re-Americanized. Very 
few had French money to exchange and many of 
those who did visited the Y. M. C. A. canteens, where 
for the first time in many months they saw and 
purchased bountiful amounts of cakes, candies and 
other sweets. They remembered their food expe- 
riences on the way over and how hungry they had 
been for candy and promised themselves to lay in a 
good supply of such things before embarking on the 
home voyage, but they were disappointed in this re- 
spect, the order for embarkation finding them much 
too busy to make purchases of candy even had their 
packs not been too full to allow of additional loads. 

The men became interested in learning about the 
many camps which comprised St. Nazaire, and 
learned that it was divided into nine separate units, 
each unit having a specific use. Numbered in suc- 
cession from 1 to 9, the more important ones in re- 



St. Nazaire 185 

gard to the embarkation of the troops were No. 1, 
the Embarkation Camp; No. 2, the Reception Camp; 
and No. 4, the Negro Labor Battalion. Camp No. 8 
was used for the purpose of assembling automobiles 
for shipment to the front and as an automobile re- 
pair shop for the A. E. F., and was the largest au- 
tomobile plant in the world, as many as 60,000 cars 
having been parked in its automobile yard at one 
time. 

Another camp which can rightfully be called a 
part of Camp St. Nazaire was Camp Montoir, which 
was used as a discipline camp, where all troops held 
for disciplinary action were placed; this camp was 
usually full. Montoir also contained diseased per- 
sonnel, who were not allowed to return home, but 
were placed in pens surrounded by barbed wire and 
not allowed to even talk to other troops. Some 
very pitiful sights were seen among these unfortu- 
nate people, many of whom were husbands with wives 
and children at home. The government placed these 
men in stockades and kept them there until they 
were cured, making them do hard manual labor in 
the meantime, or if found to be incurable, shipped 
them home and placed them in prisons, never to have 
freedom again. In this manner the army strove to 
wipe out disease or to at least make it impossible 
for diseased men to return to America and be al- 
lowed the opportunity of infecting the citizens here. 
Camp Montoir also contained the greatest warehouses 
in the world, these warehouses having enough food 
stowed in them at one time to feed the A. E. F. for 
60 days. 

Each camp had one or two mess halls, all of 
which were about the same size and conducted on 
practically the same plan. The men were admitted 



186 



Trail of the 61st 



to these halls through long sheds which accommo- 
dated a column of troops four abreast, and which 
had four openings to the main hall, through which 
each line of troops could pass; adjacent to the 
openings, and so constructed as to form passageways 
for the incoming men, were serving shelves where 




The last hike in France. Going aboard the transport that was to 'ake 
them home. This was one formation that was made without a hitch and with 
much pleasure. 



food was served rapidly to the four lines as the 
men came through. After having been served, the 
men passed on to the tables which were built about 
waist high so that food could be eaten from them 
with ease while the men stood. Exits, similar to the 
entrances, were provided at convenient points in the 
building and just outside of these exits were large 
troughs of hot water where messkits could be washed. 
The giant mess halls had the record of serving an 



St. Nazaire 187 

average of 90 men per minute, and as many as 12,000 
were known to have passed through in one meal. 

The Commanding General of St. Nazaire was the 
Commanding General of Base Section No. 1, and his 
working personnel were secured by assignment from 
regular units, though it was also increased materially 
from time to time by home-going troops with special 
qualifications. None of the latter troops were kept, 
however, without their voluntary consent. The ca- 
pacity of the camp was 20,000 troops, but at times 
it held as many as 30,000. In size it was the second 
debarkation camp in France, having had as many 
as 15,000 embark from it in one week, though the 
normal debarkation capacity was considered to be 
6,000 per week. 

In all inspections that were made of Camp St. 
Nazaire by general officers, including that of GeneraJ 
Pershing, no adverse reports were made against it. Up 
to the time the 61st passed through it had never 
been attacked by an epidemic and troops quartered in 
it had never been compelled to sleep in "pup" tents, 
since an abundance of barracks had always been 
available. After the signing of the armistice, great 
numbers of soldiers passed through the camp, but its 
area was not increased, though many new buiMings 
were constructed, as, for instance, a huge entertain- 
ment and lecture hall for the Y. M. C. A. and a simi 
lar building for the Knights of Columbus. At th(^ 
time the troops from the 61st passed through the 
camp a mammoth steel building for play purposes 
was being constructed and the Salvation Army was 
building a tremendous structure, which was to have 
a capacity sufficient to allow the serving of 10,000 
doughnuts and cups of chocolate per day. 



188 



Trail of the 61st 



The town of St. Nazaire is very old, as far as its 
construction is concerned, but it is comparatively 
new commercially, having built up its trade after 
the year 1817, when France began her colonial pol- 
icy. The population of the town at the time the 
61st was there was approximately 50,000, which ex- 
plains the reason why troops from the camps were 
not allowed more than four hour passes to the city 




The afterdeck of the Aeolus, showing a group of 131st men engaged in a 
"little friendly game." 

The harbor of St. Nazaire, though ideal in many 
respects, was hindered by the shallow depth of its 
channel, which, formed by the mouth of the Loire 
river, was affected by the sediment from the stream 
as it was carried far out into the ocean. Because of 
this condition, ships of more than 30,000 tons dis- 
placement could not enter the harbor and ships ac- 
commodating more than 4,000 troops did not come 
to St. Nazaire. The largest American ship that en- 



St. Nazaire 189 

tered the harbor during t^e war was probably the 
"President Grant." 

Troop movements to the ships began on Febru- 
ary 25th, when the 131st Regiment went aboard the 
ship Aeolus. This regiment was followed on Febru- 
ary 28th by Brigade Headquarters, which embarked 
during that afternoon on the converted German 
cruiser DeKalb. The hike from camp to the ships 
was made with very little difficulty, since the road 
led downhill most of the way and the men were happy 
over their departure. The weather was quite warm, 
however, and the troops suffered slightly from the 
heat. Upon arriving at the piers, they were met by 
Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. workers, who served them 
ice cream and cake and furnished substantial amounts 
of candy and cigarettes for use after they went 
aboard the ships; many games of checkers and cards 
were also given to the men at this time by the two 
organizations. 

The two above mentioned units were followed 
shortly by the remainder of the brigade, and all of the 
organization left St. Nazaire by the 11th of March. 

Instead of sailing promptly from the harbor, 
the ships remained at St. Nazaire for several hours 
after the troops had gone aboard, in some instances 
remaining anchored for as much as two days before 
starting. But all of them left sooner or later and 
as the prows of the ships faced the high seas the men 
gleefully turned their backs on France and thanked 
their good fortune over at last being started on their 
trip home. 



X. 

THE VOYAGE HOME 

The departure of the U. S. S. Aelous on Febru- 
ary 27th marked the beginning of the homeward 
voyage of the 61st Brigade, the 131st Regiment being 
aboard this ship. Brigade headquarters and the 
111th Trench Mortar Battery sailed from St. Nazaire 
February 28th, on the U. S. S. DeKalb; the first 
day of March saw the third unit of the brigade on 
the high seas, as the 111th Ammunition Train sailed 
on that date aboard the U. S. S. Arcadia; the Ammu- 
nition Train was followed by the 133rd regiment, 
which sailed from France on the U. S. S. Rijndam, 
March 9th; the last unit, the 132nd Regiment, bade 
good-bye to French soil March- 11th, when it sailed 
away from St. Nazaire on the U. S. S. Kroonland. 

The troops sailed from France without manifest- 
ing any excitement or exhilaration, since they had 
been instructed by their officers to make no demon- 
strations. Only a short time previous to their de- 
parture a unit at Brest, after having gone aboard 
its ship which was lying in the harbor awaiting 
sailing orders, had boisterously bid farewell to France 
and had so unnecessarily criticised the French people 
that it was ordered to debark from its ship and was 
assigned to camp for port duty. Men of the 61st 
had no desire to be delayed a single moment longer 
than necessary in their departure and were careful 
not to make any noises or to say anything that coull 
detain them. Many of them, however, swore softly 
under their breaths and anathematized France and 
her people to their heart's content. While they could 

(190) 



The Voyage Home 



191 



not have the satisfaction of voicing their feeling? 
aloud they did derive considerable pleasure from get- 
ting these remarks out of their systems. 

It is a deplorable fact that the American soldiers 
returned to America with unkind feelings toward 
the French, for such an attitude does serious injustice 
to these people. It is true that the French have many 




The liner on which the 132d Regiment sailed from St. Nazaire to Newport 
News. Tlie Kroonland was probably the best vessel on which any units of the 
brigade returned to America. 

characteristics that are anything but <iommendable : 
they drink wine; they appear to be unmoral; they 
seem unattractive physically and mentally; and the 
average American feels that he was "held up" by 
them. But all of these things are only superficial, 
and, though existing, should not be accepted as a 
basis on which to form a final opinion of any people. 
Nb race producing such great personalities as Joan 
de Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Victor Hugo, Louis XIV 
and hundreds of others of equal renown, can right- 
fully be subjected to absolute contempt and disdain. 



192 



Trail of the 61st 



No nation that has been able to create such a nation- 
alism and love for country, that can fight with such 
persistence and brilliancy as the troops of France, 
can be truthfully said to other than great. 

Most of the men were guided in their opinion 
of the French by the type of men and women whom 
they saw in and around the camps, though it is a 




The U. S. S. De Kalb, though a converted German cruiser, proved to be a 
satisfactory transport to the soldiers of Brigade Headquarters and the 111th 
Trench Mortar Battery. These two organizations were on tli© De Kalb fourteen 
days on their homeward voyage. 

well known fact that the majority of such hangers-on 
are never representative of the highest type of citi- 
zenship. Moreover, it must be remembered that the 
American soldier judged the French solely by Ameri- 
can standards and this was unjust because of the 
radical difference in national customs of the two 
peoples. To illustrate: The soldiers thought that 
the free speech and intimate relations of the French 
women with the men were indications of the lowest 
type of morality — and viewed from American stand- 



The Voyage Home 



193 



ards they were justified in this belief. On the other 
hand, the French people were convinced that our 
American women,-^Y. M. C. A. workers, Red Cross 
nurses and other American girls in France — who 
made a practice of attending social functions with 
men, unchaperoned while going to and from places 
with them, were immoral — and judging from French 




The U. S. S. Arcadia, on which the 111th Ammunition Train returned to 
America. The Arcadia, was one of the smaller ships of the U. S. transport service. 

standards they were right. Thus it will be seen 
that errors in judgment, caused by ignorance, were 
common to both the French and the Americans and 
that lack of appreciation for each other resulted. 

It is difficult to understand how any man who 
visited Paris with a mind open to truth and a desire 
to become acquainted with the great French capital, 
could return to America saying that the French peo- 
ple were unmodern, disreputable and absolutely no 
good. No nation in the world has produced a more 
wonderful citv than Paris and no city in the world 



194 Trail of the 61st 

has a finer type of representative business men in it 
than Paris. For attractiveness, historic interest and 
even modernity, Paris is unsurpassed; she has beau- 
tiful streets, highly attractive buildings and an air 
of refinement and quality about her that is satisfy- 
ing to an unusual degree. 

The ships sailed slowly westward from St. Na- 
zaire until they cleared the mouth of the Loire river, 
after which they turned down, the coast, and remained 
in sight of land for two or three hours, when they 
put out to high seas, homeward bound. The men 
thronged the decks and hung over the rails to catch 
a last view of the land in which they had passed eight 
months, and as they saw France passing rapidly from 
view firmly resolved that unless it became absolutely 
necessary in the future they would never return to 
"frogland." 

As the ships plied their way over the blue, rol- 
licking waves, the men were reminded of that othtT 
voyage they had taken eight months before, and 
those who had experienced severe attacks of sea- 
sickness imagined they could "feel themselves slip- 
ping." But this was only imagination on their part, 
for the first few hours out were spent in calm waters 
and not a man had reason to become seasick. 

One of the first duties required of the soldiers 
after the ships got under way was attendance at 
boat drill. They were assembled on the decks to 
which they had been assigned, and were instructed 
by naval officers regarding the nature of the ships 
and the regulations that governed them. Immediately 
after this preliminary drill they were ordered to 
their quarters to stand physical examination. They 
quickly arrived at their bunks and stripped them- 



The Voyage Home 



195 



selves of clothing after which they filed past a line 
of medical officers, who after an examination, sent 
them scurrying with towels and soap, to cold salt- 
water shower baths. 

The men remembered their previous experiences 
with salt water and refused to bother about the 




U. S. S. Rijndam, the ship that brought the 133d Regiment home from France. 
"The rickity old Rijndam wasn't a very fast vessel. The best sho had ever 
done in crossing the Atlantic vpas thirteen days. But her skipper was confident 
that she could do better and so he wagered that she would limp into Newport 
News ahead of the trim-rigged Matoika, a larger and speedier transport. Both 
Fessels left the harbor within an hour of each other, the Rijndam going to sea, 
first. Bulletins were posted each day showing the progress of the two vessels 
and when it appeared, three days out from the American port, that the Princess 
was gaining fast, men fiom the 133d went to tlie boiler rooiiis as stokers. 
Their sta.mina won the race — the Rijndam reached port two hours ahead of the 
Princess, breaking her service record by rea,ching God's country two days 
sooner than she had ever done on any previous occasion." — Kent Watson, in 
"History of the 133d Regiment." 

baths, except to camouflage sufficiently to "get by" 
the officers, who were easily deceived by tousled hair 
and dampened faces. Much grumbling resulted from 
the bathing order, for the ships were not prepared for 
this sort of thing, and bathing facilities were both 
inadequate and antiquated. Moreover, the men were 



196 Trail of the 61st 

so congested in their quarters that they were unable 
to dress and undress without great inconvenience. 

After the ships had been at sea four or five hours 
the waves became slightly boisterous, and, as most of 
the ships were small, men became seasick. Not many 
of them "fed the fishes," however, but a considerable 
number refused to eat anything for a meal or two. 

A noticeable feature of the voyage home was the 
small amount of sickness in evidence; the men ap- 
parently had learned how to combat this sensation. Of 
course, there were some who gave up before they 
started on the voyage and these individuals remained 
sick practically during the entire trip. While their 
sickness was hard on them they received very little 
sympathy from their comrades who could not appreci- 
ate the easy manner in which they surrendered tcT their 
feelings. 

At about two hundred miles from shore the wind 
began to rise and within a short time reached a gale 
of about forty or fifty miles an hour, the waves be- 
coming sufficiently high to wash over the upper decks 
cf the ships and wet many surprised soldiers. It took 
only a short time for the rough waters to have their 
affect upon the men and practically everybody aboard 
ship became seasick ; many went below to their bunks 
and the lower decks soon became practically unin- 
habitable. The "spell" was the worst one during the 
voyage but it did not last long. 

The food served on the homeward voyage was very 
good, fresh fruit and scrambled eggs being common for 
breakfast while good meat and vegetables were served 
in substantial quantities at other meals. It seemed 
that the ship authorities had learned of the dissatis- 
faction which the soldiers felt over the food served to 



The Voyage Home 



197 



them during the voyage to France, for they personally 
supervised the cooking and serving of food on this 
voyage. One noticeable change in the plan used in 
serving the soldiers was that they were allowed to 
receive their food and go up on deck to eat it in the 
open air instead of being cooped up in hot, evil-smelling 
mess halls. There was considerable delay in getting all 
of the troops served, since the men were lined up on 




Life on board ship caused the men to revert to the primitive and they 
rolleid) together on decks In piles, packing the available sunny spaces on the 
ship as tightly as they could squeeze together. 

deck and marched past the serving rooms, but this 
could not be avoided as the troops could be fed only as 
fast as facilities would permit. Occasionally the cooks 
failed to prepare enough food for all on board and sol- 
diers who were last in line failed to receive a full share 
of food, but these little inconveniences were insignifi- 
cant in comparison with the satisfactory manner in 
general in which the troops were fed. 



198 Trial of the 61st 

Each Saturday the ships were inspected by their 
captains, the previous day having been spent by the 
sailors in washing everything aboard ship, and if the 
sailors left a single thing, aside from the soldiers 
themselves, unscrubbed, the men were unable to see 
it. The thorough manner in which the sailors went 
over the ships was a great surprise to the soldiers, 
who had supposed that military inspections were 
very much worse than naval inspections. But the 
sailors were not the only ones who were inspected by 
the captains of the ships, for the soldiers were lined 
up on deck and were also personally inspected. 
These inspections were dreaded by the men for they 
had to pass the scrutiny of both their own army offi- 
cers and the naval officers, and the sharp eyes of the 
latter seemingly were capable of ferreting out every 
speck of dirt aboard ship, whether on the men or else- 
where. 

Also, quarters were inspected by naval officers 
every day, and special details of soldiers were as- 
signed to the work of keeping floors swept, bunks 
neatly arranged and steps leading to upper decks 
washed. Not as much care was exercised by the 
soldiers in this work as they were accustomed to give 
to similar work in camp, but in general each deck 
was kept in fairly good condition until Saturday 
inspections, at which time it was made spick and 
span by the industrious sailors. 

The weather became warmer after the ships 
had been out of port three or four days and the men 
knew by the great quantities of seaweed the ships 
passed that they had entered the Gulf Stream. For 
several hours after they entered this stream, they en- 
joyed the balmy air and the bright sunshine, which 



The Voyage Home 



199 



reminded them so much of their southern climate and 
which was doubly appreciated because of the many 
months they had been deprived of it while in France. 
They enjoyed themselves heartily and were content 
to lie on deck day-dreaming, thanking their lucky stars 
that they were drawing nearer and nearer home. 




After ha.ving been on the water for a few days nothing looked so good to 
the tired soldiers as land, and this picture shows a number of men from the 
isist catching their first view of the Azores Islands on the home voyage, lue 
low rocky coast of the Azores seemed to be ]ust about tiie best looking land they 
had seen since leaving America, though they did not evince a desire to stop there 
for more than a few hours, as home was the only thing that really interested 
them. 



But this enjoyable condition of affairs was rudely 
changed by a storm which bore down upon the ships 
with great intensity. The wind blew a gale of seventy 
miles an hour and the surface of the ocean was lashed 
into fury, giant waves apparently attempting to swal- 
low the ships in their great hollows. The vessels 
were tossed, about as if made of Qgg shells instead of 
heavy iron, and though often appearing doomed to 



200 Trail of the 61st 

be submerged by the angry waters, they always man- 
aged to ride the waves in a right royal fashion. The 
surging, rolling waves fascinated the soldiers, who 
clung to parts of the decks and watched the movement 
of the water as it was whipped about by the strong 
winds. They saw their ships dip into the troughs of 
the ocean until the crests of many waves about them 
easily were 100 feet above the decks and it seemed al- 
most impossible for the ships to successfully climb the 
great waves ; but even while they were fearing they saw 
the waves fade from view and the ships rise to 
start down again into other billows. During the period 
of the storm a speed of only eight knots per hour was 
made, and the ships were blown considerably off their 
course. 

The 131st Regiment experienced a novel treat in 
stopping three days at the Azores Islands, w^here a 
number of officers went ashore. Several of these 
officers reported a lively time while on land, for 
they were unfortunately caught in a street fight be- 
tween the natives and American soldiers. They were 
compelled to use rocks, brickbats and other imple- 
ments of warfare they could find lying at hand in 
order to make a "safe getaway." They said that the 
castilian-speaking inhabitants of the Azores were 
quite attractive until aroused but then were veritable 
devils, even surpassing in viciousness the subtle 
Mexicans on the border. 

During the home voyage the men were allowed 
entire freedom of the ships, their desire to learn 
more about these great ocean-going vessels leading 
many of them into the engine rooms, through the 
officers' quarters, into the giant refrigerators where 
food was kept, up into the birds' nests, and, in fact, 
all over the ships from top to bottom. They learned 



The Voyage Home 



201 



just how the food was cooked in great steam boilers, 
and became intimate with the wonderful machinery 
which was emboweled in the hold of the ships. They 
found their way to the bakeries, where occasionally 
good-natured cooks slipped them bits of hot cakes and. 
pies; sometimes when their nerves were equal to the 
strain, they stole into the kitchen where food for 




The first view of the Azores Ishmds by the 131st on their homeward voyage. 
The low rock coast line looked good to the tired soldiers, since they had been 
on the water for several days. 



the officers was being cooked, and, if they found 
the fat, round-faced negro chef in a reasonable mood, 
they parted from a liberal sum of money and were 
rewarded with a feast fit for the gods. These visits 
to the bakeries and kitchens were usually made under 
cover of darkness as none of the men had a desire to 
make themselves conspicuous by their enterprise; 
moreover, it seemed that the "best fellows" were on 
duty at night. 



202 Trail of the 61st 

Much time was spent in reading, especially as 
the men became tired of the voyage and wished to 
do something to occupy their time and interest. Books 
in plenty were furnished by the Y. M. C. A. secre- 
taries and ship chaplains and volumes usually were 
distributed at random to all who cared to use them. 
It became a customary sight to see men sprawled 
at various places on the upper decks, with books in 
hands deeply interested in stories, for practically the 
only books that were read were novels, very few other 
books being available in the lists supplied by the war 
workers. 

The chaplains rendered another service by dis- 
tributing candy freely among the soldiers. The 
"preachers" seemed to hugely enjoy seeing the men 
surge about them during candy distributing times, 
since the usual plan of distribution was for each chap- 
lain to hold a gallon box or two of candy be- 
fore him and allow the soldiers to good-naturedly 
fight among themselves for the contents. Occasion- 
ally some greedy fellow reached into a box and filled 
his hand so full that he was unable to draw his bulg- 
ing fist through the small opening without losing 
a part of the candy he had gathered. This usually 
resulted in such a look of pain and reproach passing 
over his face that the crowd, while thumping his 
back vigorously, roared with laughter and ultimately 
compelled him to be satisfied with only two or three 
small pieces of candy. 

Most of the ships on which the soldiers of the 
61st returned had either been captured from the Ger- 
mans or had been made famous by the part they had 
played in the war. A description of one of these 
ships, the DeKalb, which transported brigade head- 
quarters home, will suffice as an example. 



The Voyage Home 203 

The U. S. S. DeKalb was a converted German 
cruiser, built in 1904 for service between Germany 
and China, and named the Prince Eitel Frederick. 
She was used in oriental service until 1914 when war 
was declared, then was equipped with guns and placed 
on the Atlantic ocean as a raider, being termed a Ger- 
man auxiliary cruiser, and carrying a crew of 13 offi- 
cers and 356 men. She was equipped with three 8- 
inch guns, two 6-pounders and 14 machine guns, be- 
sides torpedo launching equipment. 

Between August 5, 1914, and March 10, 1915, 
she cruised 30,000 miles without returning to her 
home port. While on this cruise she sank eleven al- 
lied vessels, which had a total tonnage of more than 
26,000 tons. She was driven into port at Norfolk, 
Virginia, by two enemy battle cruisers, one British 
and the other French, and was ordered by the United 
States to leave American ports. She failed to comply 
with the order and was seized and held as a prisoner 
of war until the entry of the U. S. into the European 
war, when her German crew was removed and an 
American one substituted therefor. 

She was immediately given a general rehauling 
in preparation for transport service and was placed 
on the sea to carry troops to Europe. At the time 
she was transporting home the troops of the 61st 
she was concluding her fifteenth round-trip voyage 
across the Atlantic, as an American transport. While 
in the service of the U. S. navy she experienced no 
excitement from submarines or German naval craft, 
the only experience that even approached excitement 
having occurred on her fourteenth voyage, when she 
sank a German mine in the Bay of Biscay, after hav- 
ing been compelled to fire on it for more than three 
hours. 



204 



Trail of the Qlst 



Under American control she had a crew of 547 
men and 90 officers, and though she was known to 
have had an average speed of 22 or 23 knots per hour 
while in German hands, the fastest rate of speed 
her American crew was able to develop from her 
German machinery was 16 knots per hour. She 




The town of Horta, Azores Islands. The Battleship .New Jersey is shown 
lying out in the harbor. Horta is the town in which men from the 131st had 
some trouble and were forced to fight their way back to their boats. 

carried 16 American guns, which with the exception 
of two, were located just where her German guns 
had been. 

Two or three days before reaching land the men 
were greeted by sea gulls which came out in great 
quantities to meet the incoming ships and to feed on 
the refuse that was thrown overboard. These croak- 
ing birds were welcomed enthusiastically, as they 
brought the realization that the ships were rapidly 
approaching American waters. The voyage had been 
quite pleasant and the men had been well treated and 



The Voyage Home 205 

entertained, but they were eager to get to America 
and be mustered out of service. 

The first ship to arrive at Newport News was 
the DeKalb, which arrived on the 12th of March. 
The second ship to reach harbor was the Aelous, 
which anchored at her pier March 13th. The Arca- 
dia docked March 17th ; and she was followed by the 
liijndam, which arrived the 20th of March. The last 
ship to reach Newport News was the Kroonland, 
which dropped anchor at her pier on March 24th. 
Thus eight months after leaving American shores 
troops of the 61st Brigade returned to their native 
land, so happy over their home coming that even the 
dirtiest, dingiest little shack in the town of Newport 
News looked better to them than the finest chateau 
they had seen in France. 

The debarking troops were met at the piers 
by the ever helpful Red Cross women who served 
real American chocolates, high grade cigarettes, chew- 
ing gum and cakes. As the men marched from the 
piers to the streets and prepared for their hike to 
camp, they were greeted by a number of army trucks 
which were driven by American girls who seemed 
to the admiring eyes of the pleased soldiers to be just 
about as attractive as it was possible for girls to 
be. Then, too, the men were delighted on all sides 
by ''good old American talk." 

As the troops swung along on their march to 
Camp Stewart they received cheers from the citizens 
of Newport News and to their pleased ears these 
cheers seemed unusually hearty. They were so elated 
over being again on home soil that everything ancl 
everybody pleased them. They had never before real- 
ized what an attractive country the United States 



206 



Trail of the 61st 



was nor how priviliged they were to be Americans. 
In marked contrast to all their previous experiences, 
they found everything to their taste — the streets were 
fine, the march easy to make, and the camp quite sat- 
isfactory when they saw it. 

Immediately after arriving at Camp Stewart, 
they became established in their quarters, which were 
commodious, well ventilated wooden barracks and 
they quickly ridded themselves of their packs and 
proceeded to make themselves at home, a faculty they 
acquired from their many moving experiences in the 
army. 




Lined up for the hike to the boat at St. Nazaire. 



XI. 

DEMOBILIZATION 

Camp Stewart proved to be one of the most at- 
tractive camps in v^hich the 61st Brigade had been 
stationed. It lay on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, 
where the sea breezes swept freely over it and stretched 
over two or three miles of level sandy soil. It was 
equipped with modern, substantial barracks, which 
made it both attractive and comfortable. Its streets 
were paved, the pleasure huts of the Y. M. C. A. and 
other war organizations were commodious and the 
Liberty theaters were huge, airy buildings, con- 
structed to accommodate large numbers of soldiers. 

After the men had made such preliminary ad- 
justments as were necessary in becoming established 
in their new surroundings, bedsacks were procured 
and they were instructed to fill them with hay pro- 
vided for that purpose. Iron cots of modern make 
were secured and with these and the freshly filled 
bedsacks they soon arranged comfortable bunks. 
Packs were unrolled, clothes were hung neatly along 
the walls and the barracks were made to have the 
regular appearance of military homes. 

Instructions were now given to the soldiers to pre- 
pare themselves for delousing, which they did by ar- 
ranging all of their clothes in regulation bundles to be 
carried to the steaming plants. After these prelimin- 
aries they were hustled to the delouser and put through 
it with great dispatch. They found to their surprise 
that the delousing plant at Stewart was greatly su- 

(207) 



208 



Trail of the 61st 



perior to the one they had passed through at St. Na- 
zaire, since bathing facilities were much better and 
the clothes were subjected to much higher steam pres- 
sure. Instead of being a disagreeable task such as 
they had expected, the delousing process proved to be 
their most enjoyable experience since leaving St. 




Camp Stewart, Virginia, where the greater part of the brigade were stationed 
after debarking from their homeward voyage. This was oiie of the most attractive 
camps in America, being located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean where the 
clean, sandy ground became neither very dusty nor muddy. The dim outlines 
of ships are shown lying in sailing formation in the harbor at Newport News. 

Nazaire; while they were in embarkation camp the 
only bath they had been allowed to take had been the 
two-minute bath which they were given at the delouser, 
but here they were allowed to spend as much time 
under the showers as they chose, and this privilege 
was appreciated by all. Many of the boys spent half 
an hour trying to remove the dirt which had accumu- 
lated during the past weeks of travel and when this 
pleasurable task was completed they left the delousing 
plant feeling greatly improved. They marched back to 



Demobilization 209 

their barracks where some remained in bed until their 
uniforms had been pressed and returned to them. 

After having been deloused the soldiers were 
given freedom of the camp, and large numbers of 
them were granted passes to the town of Newport 
News. They left in great numbers to catch street 
cars which ran nearby, and were carried into town, 
where they spent some time and money in becoming 
reacquainted with American stores and shows. They 
did not appreciate Newport News in the least, for 
it is one of the dirtiest, dingiest old towns in the 
United States; during the war so many soldiers had 
been encamped near the town that the business people 
had grown entirely indifferent to soldiers, and appar- 
ently only tolerated them because they brought in- 
creased trade to the town. Exorbitant prices prevailed 
in all businesses and no opportunity for ''holding up" 
the soldiers was overlooked. It took only a trip 
or two to satisfy the men that Newport News was no 
place for them, and that the amusements afforded in 
camp were much cheaper and better. 

All of the units of the 61st brigade, except the 
133rd Regiment, which was quartered at Camp Mor- 
rison, entered Camp Stewart upon debarking from 
their ships. The 133rd was sent to Camp Morrison 
because Camp Stewart was too full at the time it 
arrived to accommodate any more troops. 

The food served at Newport News was the best 
the men. had seen since leaving Camp Bowie, for 
mess funds, unused while in France because of mili- 
tary rules prohibiting the use thereof while over- 
seas, were spent freely to secure an abundance of 
rich supplies. The cooks appreciated their responsi- 
bilities at this time and outdid themselves by prepar' 



210 



Trail of the 61st 



ing meals that would have reflected credit upon 
the chefs of America's leading hotels. They produced 
cakes, pies, salads, ice cream and custards, until 
the soldiers cried "enough." This was one place 
where the officers preferred to eat with the en- 




One of the most important duties of tlie troops at Ca,mp Stewart was that of 
passing "showdown" inspections, and one of these inspections is sliown here. 
Each man's equipment was placed on his shelter half which rested on the ground, 
and the inspecting officer saw to it that every man was properly supplied with 
new, clean uniforms and other equipment. The 'show-down" at Stewart was one 
of the easiest inspections of the war and the men romped through it with 
astonishing ease. * 

listed men instead of having their separate messes; 
not all of them did, however, but such as didn't eat 
with the men wanted to do so. 

Newport News had four camps lying adjacent 
to it; Camp Stewart, Camp Morrison and Camp 
Alexander, which were debarkation camps, and Camp 
Hill, which was a casual camp. These four camps 
had a capacity of about 60,000 soldiers and at the 
rate of speed with which troops returned they were 
constantly filled to overflowing. Camp Morrison 



Demobilization 211 

had been built for the occupancy of troops of the air 
service and was one of the most beautiful camps 
in the United States ; troops were indeed fortunate to 
be stationed there. Camp Alexander was not so at- 
tractive because it had been occupied by labor troops 
before being converted into a debarkation camp. 
Camp Hill- was a comfortable place, though not par- 
ticularly attractive except for the view it allowed of 
the Hudson river. 

While at Newport News the 61st Brigade was di- 
vided and troops from states other than Texas were 
separated from their organizations and sent to join 
casual troops scheduled for their own states. Okla- 
homa troops were sent to Camp Hill and from there 
to Camp Pike, Arkansas for demobilization. Rather, 
that was true of all Oklahoma troops except the 111th 
Ammunition Train, which was sent to Camp Bowie 
to be mustered out. 

The first troops of the 61st to leave debarkation 
camp were Texas men of Brigade Headquarters and 
the 111th Trench Mortar Battery, who entrained 
March 19th. These troops were followed by the 
131st Regiment, which left Camp Stewart on March 
19th. The 133rd Regiment was entrained and started 
on its home trip by the evening of March 25th, hav- 
ing been preceded three days before that time by the 
111th Ammunition Train. 

After the departure of the 133rd the 132nd Regi- 
ment was the only unit of the 61st that was left in the 
debarkation camp and this organization left for Texas 
by the 29th of the month. 

All of the troop trains went to Texas over the 
southern route, though the 131st dipped farther south 
than anv of the others and traveled by way of New 



212 Trail of the 61st 

Orleans to Camp Travis. It arrived at Camp Travis 
March 24th, where it was met by thousands of San 
Antonio citizens, who were at camp to extend a royal 
welcome to the home-coming boys. These loyal citizens 
had prepared an elegant supper in one of the barracks 
that were to be occupied by the 131st, and every man 
in the organization received a meal here that surpassed 
in excellency even the splendid meals he had been re- 
ceiving in Camp Stewart. 

The 111th Ammunition Train followed practical- 
ly the same route as that by which they had gone 
from Bowie to Mills, except that they deflected at 
Little Rock, Ark., and went by way of McAlester, 
Oklahoma, where they were met by the townspeople 
and served to a municipal dinner. From McAlester 
the train proceeded to Oklahoma City, where a night 
was spent and practically every soldier in the organi- 
zation was entertained by some family in the city. 

On the following day the organization paraded 
in Oklahoma City where the citizens turned out en 
masse to see the homecoming boys, and to the people 
who had remainea at home, the soldiers of the Train 
seemed especially fine and stalwart, their tanned 
faces, muscled frames, and upright bearing proving 
that the long period spent in the army had developed 
them both mentally and physically. These were the 
first Oklahoma troops to pass through Oklahoma City 
and the citizens extended splendid welcome to them. 
Every available spot on the sidewalks was occupied 
by admiring, cheering home folks, who tried in every 
way possible to make the boys feel how proud and 
glad the city was to see the organization safely re- 
turned home. 



Demobilization 



213 



The preceding evening the Train had been enter- 
tained with a banquet, and the men yet retained a 
vivid and pleasant memory of the splendid meal, 
where everything imaginable in the way of good 
food had been provided. Though they had been re- 
ceiving good food since arriving at Newport News, 




Each town through which the troops passed had its K'^d Cross women and 
the soldiers quickly learned to expect "eats" when they approached these places. 
The boys will never forget the great debt they owe to the Red Cross, both nn 
this side and "over there," for the great work done Dy that organization. 
This sna.pshot was caught at Mobile, Alabama, and shows the fellows with their 
cups in hand waiting for the coffee can to come along. Some of tiiem have 
sandwiches and seemingly axe pleased over the manner in which the seirving 
is being conducted. 



this supper surpassed anything they had seen for 
months and each man did full duty to his share of 
"eats." 

Immediately after the banquet the soldiers were 
taken to picture shows, where they enjoyed the 
playhouses and were entertained as civilians. 
Only the soldier who has been through the grind of 
army life can appTeciate just how these men felt 



214 Trail of the 61st 

when they realized that they were again in their 
home city, practically free, and only a few short 
days removed from absolute freedom. The visits 
to their homes, or to hospitable friends made them 
realize more poignantly the tremendous difference 
between soldier life and civilian life, and they could 
scarcely wait for the time when they would receive 
their discharge papers and could return again to 
free lives. 

After their parade in Oklahoma City the Am- 
munition Train was marched to its cars, which 
had been tracked on the sidings near the old Frisco 
•Station, and the troops entrained for the last lap of 
their journey which was to bring them to their start- 
ing point, Camp Bowie. The loading was done with 
dispatch and without any lost motion, as the men had 
become thoroughly experienced by this time in 
quickly and smoothly boarding cars. As the trains 
slowly pulled away from the siding, the departing 
troops were given a ringing farewell by the happy 
crowd of mothers, sisters, sweethearts, wives, broth- 
ers, fathers and friends who realized that the de- 
parture of the troops this time signified nothing more 
than a short separation and not the heartbreaking 
goodby which had taken place at the time the troops 
had left for camp. 

The first stop out of Oklahoma City was at El 
Reno, where the troops were welcomed heartily by 
the citizens and the Red Cross ladies served the boys 
to the customary good things to eat and drink, while 
the cheering townspeople demonstrated their approba- 
tion of the proceedings. Similar experiences were en- 
countered by the men at practically every station they 



Demobilization 215 

passed in Oklahoma, as each town attempted to outdo 
its neighbors in welcoming the men home. 

The train arrived in Fort Worth at about 11 
o'clock at night and the troops were held in their 
coaches until morning, when they were detrained and 
marched to camp. Each man in the organization 
was anxious to see old Camp Bowie, and the men 
made merry among themselves in discussing the home- 
like appearance of the camp and the unchanged con- 
dition of everything. Instead of being relocated in 
the part of camp where they had spent their training 
period they were marched to the part pre- 
viously occupied by the infantry of the 36th division. 
As the men walked along the road through camp and 
saw the many familiar sights they recalled many ex- 
periences of training days, and though many of those 
experiences had been anything but pleasant at the 
time of their occurrence, they afforded great merri- 
ment now that the boys could look back laugh- 
ingly on the sorrows and troubles of old Camp Bowie 
days. A turn in the road here, a bypath there, and 
a thousand and one familiar scenes reminded the sol- 
diers of the many months they had spent in Bowie, 
and it was surprising how quickly they felt at home 
and how easily they again fell into the ways of the 
camp. 

After being billeted, they were immediately 
called to attention by camp officers, who informed 
them that the work of mustering out would be car- 
ried forward with dispatch and that the soldiers 
would, in all orobability, be away from camp within 
three or four days. Especial emphasis was laid upon 
the need for every man to remain in and about camp 
where he could be reached at all times, as it was 
pointed out that there would be something doing prac- 



216 Trail of the 61st 

tically every minute of the time, and, in view of 
the great numbers of troops who were passing 
through Camp Bowie to be demobilized, disregard 
of this order would militate against the quick dis- 
charge of any man guilty of disobeying it. The men 
were duly impressed with these instructions, but 
during the months they had been in the service they 
had learned to accept as the truth only a certain 
percentage of what they heard and they proceeded to 
forget the greater part of the instructions, and left 
for town and good times just as quickly as the op- 
portunity presented. Fort Worth had never looked 
half as good to them before as it did now and they 
just simply couldn't resist the temptation to see the 
town and once again walk its crowded streets to the 
hotels and picture shows. Good money separated 
from good soldiers very rapidly at this time, for the 
men ate good food and saw shows as long as their 
money lasted. 

Regardless of the waywardness of the more ven- 
turesome spirits, the work of demobilization proceeded 
rapidly and the men were put through the various 
required activities in record time. In fact, most of 
the soldiers found themselves so busy they did not 
have time to run around much, the first duties — that 
of turning in equipment — proving that they had two 
or three days of strenuous work ahead of them be- 
fore they could secure their freedom. The turning 
in of equipment was not easy, for every man 
had to see that his material was in first-class condi- 
tion before it would be accepted by the camp au- 
thorities; guns were polished and cleaned and every 
little speck of rust and dirt was removed from them; 
haversacks, rifle belts and similar equipment were 
scrubbed until all signs of dirt were removed; every- 



Demobilization 217 

thing underwent the close scrutiny of the men who 
saw to it that all field equipnaent was put in ship- 
shape condition. 

After the equipment had been turned in and 
properly checked, the men were subjected to rig- 
orous physical examinations. They were ushered 
into offices where they received papers containing 
full information about them, such as army serial 
number, rank, etc., and then were sent into examin- 
ing rooms where they removed their clothes and 
passed before long lines of critical, eagle-eyed medi- 
cal officers, who seemed more anxious to find de- 
fects or diseases among the men than not to. Re- 
gardless of whether or not a man felt himself to be 
all right, entirely sanitary and without disease, when 
he entered these rooms by the time he had got- 
ten very far down the line of examining officers 
he felt some trepidation about being able to pass 
through safely. And, my goodness, what an examina- 
tion it was ! If there was anything overlooked neither 
the men nor the doctors knew it, for this final 
examination was much more thorough than any of the 
physical examinations had been at the time the men 
were taken into the service. Those who passed through 
this trying ordeal and came out with their papers 
marked "0. K." were ready for resumption of civil 
life, for they knew that the folks at home had little 
to fear from them in the way of disease. 

The only remaining thing for them to do was 
to receive their discharges, which duty they per- 
formed to perfection. Pay rolls had been prepared 
and signed in preparation for the issuance of dis- 
charge papers, and as each man filed past headquar- 
ters to receive his discharge, he was also paid his last 
month's wages, a sixty dollar bonus, and travel pay 



218 Trail of the 61st 

to the point where he was scheduled to go. The 
travel pay was quickly converted into tickets, or rath- 
er a part of it was — as each man was allowed five 
cents a mile from the camp to the place where he 
had enlisted or had been inducted into the service — 
and his ticket was sold to him at a cost of only two 
cents a mile. For the first time in months, the men 
felt themselves ^'loaded" with American money, as 
before this time the greatest sum in the possession 
of any soldier had been one month's pay or less. 

The experiences of the Ammunition Train, while 
not entirely parallel to those of the other organiza- 
tions in the brigade, were practically the same and 
can be accepted as representative of the entire brig- 
ade. Of course, each organization had its own in- 
dividual experiences, but in the main they differed 
only slightly from the general plan of demobiliza- 
tion, which has been described. At any rate, by the 
10th of April, 1919, the Sixty-First Brigade was only a 
memory, as all units of that organization had been mus- 
tered out and the men returned to civilian life. 

Though each man was hilariously happy over 
being able to doff his uniform for *'cits," it was with 
a feeling akin to sorrow that he turned his back on 
army life, where he had been directed in his efforts, 
where the responsibility of his actions had rested 
upon someone else, and where he had left worry to 
the other fellow. He dimly realized that the com- 
radeship and close associations formed in the service 
were very dear to him and were likely to be missed 
in his struggle to get along in the business world. 
But relief from the bondage under which he had been 
laboring during months spent in the army was so 
pleasing to him that such dim regrets as entered his 
mind at this time did not seriously affect his pleas- 



Demobilization 219 

ure. He said to himself that he had served his "hitch" 
and was satisfied to call it a complete piece of busi- 
ness, letting the other fellow *'re-up," while he turned 
his attention and interest to again finding his place 
in peaceful activities. 

It was a fine thing to see the faith with which 
the soldiers returned to their homes and the earnest 
manner in which they settled themselves to play the 
parts of men. They reasoned that since they had 
fought for America and American ideals their coun- 
try must be glad to welcome them back into the 
business world where they would be given full op- 
portunities to demonstrate what they had learned and 
were able to do. Of course, a large number of the 
men gave themselves over for several weeks to visit- 
ing and enjoying themselves, without attempting to 
get settled again in business, but by far the greater 
number immediately secured positions and began the 
task of rebuilding their businesses and in making up 
for lost time. These realized that they had been on 
more of a vacation than had the folks at home and 
that, instead of visiting and wasting their time, they 
needed to make all possible speed in re-establishing 
themselves. 

Regardless of the quickness with which they en- 
tered again into business activities, it early became 
evident that the majority of the soldiers had re- 
turned from the war with new ideals and with greatly 
increased capacities. They were older, more expe- 
rienced, better educated and above all, broader mind- 
ed than upon their entry into camp. Before the war 
many of them had never been outside of their states, 
and some of them had not been outside of their coun- 
ties, but their wonderful experience in the trip to 
France and return home, had so broadened their vis- 



220 Trail of the 61st. 

ions and enlarged the horizon of their lives that they 
had developed with a rapidity surprising even to 
themselves. Likewise, the comparison of America 
with France had proved that the one spot in the 
universe the most dear and pleasing to them, was 
home — especially the home in the United States. 
Practically all of them had idealized Europe and the 
European people in their minds before the war, but 
after having seen Europe and her people they keenly 
realized that their own country and people were in- 
finitely superior to all other countries and peoples. 
In other words, they returned home satisfied — satis- 
fied with their country, their people and their homes. 

Without doubt these newly-made men were at 
least twenty-five per cent more efficient upon the 
day they were mustered out of the army than upon 
the day they were taken into the army, though, of 
course, this was not true of all, for the very thing 
that had developed a majority of the men, served to 
hinder the development of others. Some men, instead 
of developing under the direction and supervision of 
army officers, lost all of their initiative and person- 
ality by reason of having someone always at hand 
to do their thinking for them. But taken as a whole, 
the men of the 61st Field Artillery Brigade returned to 
their homes better Americans and better citizens than 
they could possibly have been had they not passed 
through the experiences of war. They were repre- 
sentative of the average American soldiers and reas- 
sumed the duties of free-born Americans in the same 
loyal, earnest manner that had been so noticeable in 
their response to the needs of the nation at the begin- 
ning of the war. 



Demobilization 221 

And thus we leave them, separated into differ- 
ent spheres, but settling down to enjoy the fruits of 
their labors during the two years they were in the 
service of "Uncle Sam." 



APPENDIX 

COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE 61ST F. A. 

BRIGADE. 

BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE BLAKELEY. 

A "high-up" in official military circles at Washington, iu 
speaking of General Blakeley, once said : "He is probably the 
most brilliant artillery officer in the Southwest, and possibly in 
the United States." 

To those who knew General Blakeley this statement rang true, 
for the spare, keen-eyed commander of the 61st F. A, Brigade was 
the incarnation of efficiency. At least, so it seemed to the officers 
of his own brigade, for many of them expressed the sentiment sc 
forcibly stated by one of their number who said "he would rather 
face a firing squad than be quizzed Oy General Blakely on his 
knowledge of artillery." 

The General was a quiet man, unassuming, not too exacting of 
his men insofar as form and courtesies were concerned, but relent- 
less and immovable in his demands for efficiency in their artillery 
work. He established schools for all ranks and demanded that they 
be attended; he personally supervised the work on tne range; and 
he kept his officers "on their toes" by giving them individual in- 
struction and by sending practically all of them to Officers' 
Schools, at Fort Sill dnd San Antonio. He was more or less in- 
terested in having his soldiers know how to do Squads Right and 
Left, but he demanded that they know artillery. 

This attitude of mind is not suprising when we know that 
General Blakeley was a graduate of West Point and for a number 
of years was an instructor of mathematics in that institution. His 
ability as a mathematician was recognized throughout the nation, 
and his training and connection with the great military school at 
West Point had fitted him admirably for the task of making artil- 
leryman out of green material, such as that comprising the 61st 
Brigade when he assumed command of it. It is safe to say that 
the efficiency that the 61st Brigade later acquired in France was 

(222) 



Appendix 223 

largely due to the painstaking effort General Blakeley made to 
train the men while they were at Camp Bowie. 

General Blakeley had the ability of picking men, and, though it 
was a surprise to his brigade, he chose his Brigade Adjutant from 
another branch of the serWce. He scouted around among the other 
organizations in the 36th Division until he found Major Wilton 
Rutan, an Infantry officer, and regardless of the fact that he was 
only twenty- three years of age and had no artillery training, took 
him to Brigade Headquarters of the 61st and placed him in the 
position of Brigade Adjutant. That the General's choice was a wise 
one was proved to the satisfaction of everyone, for the young ma- 
jor proved his ability and worth in a surprisingly short time. 

It was a distinct shock to the 61st Brigade when General 
Blakeley was transferred from it to a division of Coast Artil- 
lery — that is, it was a surprise until the men learned that their 
General was to be advanced another grade, then all took pride in 
having had a Commanding Officer of such capacity that he should 
be selected for advancement and placed in command of a division 
that was to leave for France. The whole brigade was sorry to see 
him leave, but felt pride over his progress. 

BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN E. STEPHENS. 

General Stephens came to the 61st from the regular army, 
where he had seen years of service, both in the United States and 
abroad. He was a graduate of West Point and was considered by 
the War Department to be one of the best artillery officers in the 
army. His rise had been rapid, for at the time he joined the 
brigade he was a comparatively young man, and it was pre- 
dicted by many who knew his record that he would distinguish him- 
self in France. 

When he joined the brigade at Camp Mills, he made few 
changes in the organization, but spent most of his time in becom- 
ing acquainted with his officers and men. His first changes in the 
brigade were made on board ship, as the brigade "went across," 
but from that time until his death he was constantly looking about 
for better men to fill the places of responsibility in his organiza- 
tion. After the brigade arrived in France, esi>ecially after reach- 
ing Coetquidan, he rearranged the greater part of the brigade and 
organized it according to his own ideas. 

The General was a strict disciplinarian and demanded uncom- 
promising obedience and courtesy from his officers as well as from 
his enlisted men. He was always kind and courteous, but was also 
firm and commanding. If he was known to have made any dis- 
crimination, whatsoever, it was probably in favor of his enlisted 
men, for he had a "soft spot" in his heart for "the boys." He was 



224 Trail of the 61st 

fatherly and interested in the men in his dignified way, and no man 
in his command felt that he was other than fair. He was strict 
and punctilious in his own affairs and was exacting of his soldiers, 
where their efficiency and training were involved. Whenever he 
passed a group of men who failed to properly salute him, or when 
he learned of any laxness in the observance of military regula- 
tions in the 61st he always made a point of correcting these mat- 
ters personally. 

Though demanding that his men deport themselves always as 
good soldiers and that they be alert and ready for duty at all 
times, General Stephens appreciated the value of proper entertain- 
ment for his men and was therefore untiring in his efforts for se- 
curing leave areas and resting places for them. Moreover, after 
the signing of the armistice, he allowed the soldiers of the 61st 
to visit the towns surrounding Camp Coetquidan, almost as freely 
as they chose. 

General Stephens constantly visited other officers in the A. E. 
F. before the signing of the armistice, to learn more about condi- 
tions and to keep informed about developments and innovations in 
his branch of the service. His automobile driver said he was inde- 
fatigible in his efforts to see as many general officers as he could 
during the time his brigade was training for the front, and this 
zeal on his part was probably instrumental in his death, for the ex- 
posure he underwent during his travels was great. He died of 
lobar pneumonia in Camp de Coetquidan. 

COLONEL OTHO FARE. 

Colonel Farr came to the 61st Brigade after the death of Gen- 
eral Stephens. He was assigned to command the brigade, with 
orders to accompany it to the states, and assumed command on 
January 10, 1919. 

He was born in Maine in 1871, took the usual schooling, had 
one year in college and was then sent to West Point, where he 
graduated in 1893. He served at various posts throughout the 
United States and took part in the expedition of Santiago troops in 
1898. 

His promotion started in 1899, when he was made a 1st lieu- 
tenant, and continued gradually until 1917, when he was promoted 
to the grade of colonel. 

In December 1917, he joined and assumed command of the 10th 
F. A. which he accompanied to France, arriving May 12, 1918. He 
commanded the regiment through the Aisne-Marne drive m July 
and August and commanded the 51st F. A. Brigade from August 20th 



Appendix 225 

to November 28th, during which time that brigade took part in the 
St. Mihiel defensive in September, and fought north of Verdun 
in October and November. 



REGIMENTAL COMMANDERS OF THE 61 ST F. 

A. BRIGADE. 

COLONEL CLAUDE V. BIRKHEAD. 

Colonel Claude Vivian Birkhead was born May 27th, 1878, in 
Phoenix, Arizona. He attended grade school, but the best school- 
ing he received as a boy was his experience as a newsboy. He 
graduated from High School at Waco, Texas, and then entered 
the law office of Henry V. Stribling, to study law. He was admit- 
ted to the bar on November 10th, 1899, and practiced law in Waco 
until 1904. 

From Waco, the Colonel moved to San Antonio, Texas, where 
he later served as judge of the 73rd District Court from 1910 to 
1912. and then returned to the practice of law with his present 
firm of Taliaferro, Cunningham and Birkhead of San Antonio, 
Texas. 

Colonel Birkhead organized Battery "B," 2nd Texas F. A., in 
June. 1916, and served as its commander until June. 1917. when he 
was authorized to raise a regiment of field artillery, the "2nd 
Texas." He was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel on July 20th, 
and was made commander of his newly organized regiment. On 
August 4th he was again promoted, to the rank of Colonel, and re- 
assigned as commander of the 2nd Texas Field Artillery. 

He graduated from the Civilian Training Camp at Camp 
Wilson, San Antonio, which he attended from June 6th to July 
8th. 1916; he attended Brigade and Field Officers' School at Ft. 
Sam Houston in January, 1917 ; he was a student at the Staff and 
Field Officers' School, Camp Bowie, and War Course School of 
Fire, Ft. Sill, 1918 ; and graduated from the School of Fire, Coet- 
quidan, France, in 1918. 

The 131st (2nd Texas) F. A., was commanded by Colonel Birk- 
head from August 5th, 1917, to April 2nd, 1919, when it was demo- 
bilized at Camp Travis, San Antonio, Texas. 

Colonel Birkhead was a forceful, vigorous officer, who main- 
tained strict discipline in his regiment and fearlessly supported 
what he believed to be right. His open denunciation of the man- 
agement of Brest, when he said the "officer who was responsible 
for the frightful conditions at Brest should be court-martialed, 



226 Trail of the 61st 

regardless of whether or not he was the rankest 2ncl lieutenant 
or the Commanding Officer of the A. E. F.," is representative of 
his demand for fair treatment and justice. 

His famous slogan, "First in Spite of Hell," became widely 
known throughout the brigade and in the A. E. F. and it was 
freely predicted by all who kneAY him that if he had been given 
an opportunity at the front, he would have been one of the strong- 
est fighting colonels in the army. His men respected his ability, 
but feared his criticism and his grip over the 131st was close at 
all times. 



COLONEL ARTHUR R. SHOLARS. 

Colonel Sholars has been prominently connected with the 
military history of Texas since 1898, when he was made captain 
of Company "H," 4th U. S. Volunteer Infantry, and saw service 
with it in the Spanish-American war. 

In 1902 he accepted a captaincy in the 3rd Texas Infantry 
and served with the 3rd until 1914. He was on the border in 
1916, as commander of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Texas Infantry. 

In March, 1917, he was called back into Federal Service, and 
on May 19th, was promoted to the rank of colonel. When the 
61st F. A. Brigade was formed in September, Colonel Sholars was 
placed in command of the 132nd F. A. Regiment. 

During his service with the Texas National Guard Colonel 
-Sholars attended all officers' schools and encampments; and 
while at Camp Bowie he was sent to the Artillery School of Fire 
at Fort Sill and completed the course there December 20th, 1917. 
He was then sent to the Field Officers' School at Fort Sam Hous- 
ton, Texas, from which he returned February 1st, 1918. 

Colonel Sholars remained in command of the 132nd F. A. 
through the World War, from Bowie to France and return home. 
He was senior colonel in the 61st and during General Blake- 
ley's command of the brigade, was left in command of the bri- 
gade during the absence of the General. 

Tall, broad-shouldered, with black hair and brown eyes, the 
colonel is a quiet, forceful man, who at no time while in com- 
mand of the lo2nd regiment, became excited or lost his temper. He 
was firm, but courteous, and his soldiers obeyed him because they 
trusted and respected his judgment. 

The headquarters of Colonel Sholars, at Camp de Coetquidan. 
was always accessible to anyone who had business with his regi- 
ment, regardless of whether the visitor was an enlisted man or an 
officer. Colonel Sholars believed in military discipline and effi- 



Appendix 227 

ciency, but he detested autocracy of military rank. His views 
on this matter made him very popular with his men. 

When mustered out of the 61st Brigade. Colonel Sholars re- 
turned to Orange, Texas, where he resumed the practice of medi- 
cine. 

COLONEL FRED A. LOGAN. 

The "terrible" commander of the 133rd regiment, was a mili- 
tary man, first, last and all of the time ! His creed and religion 
were EFFICIENCY. Most of his life had been spent in the mili- 
tary service— thirty-six years in all— mostly with the Texas Na- 
tional Guard, and he thought and lived according to military prin- 
ciples. 

Colonel Logan was one of the most prominent military figures 
in the Texas Guard when the war opened and his assignment to 
the command of a regiment was no surprise to his many friends 
and admirers. He had risen from the ranks to the grade of cap- 
tain, and his record for achievement and efficiency was so good 
that his choice for the post of colonel, was altogether fitting and 
proper. 

He entered into the work of making the best artillery regiment 
in the United States Army, immediately after arriving in Bowie, 
and he had that same goal ever before him until the armistice was 
signed. His efforts were tireless and his demands upon his men 
were ceaseless during the training periods in Camp Bowie and in 
Camp de Coetquidan. In truth, before the brigade left France, 
Colonel Logan and hard work came to be synonymous terms to 
the soldiers of his regiment. His men worked hard all of the 
time, for he reasoned that the only way to make soldiers was to 
train them, and that the only way to train soldiers was to have 
them utilize all of the time available, in their work. His regiment 
did a great deal more work than the other regiments in the bri- 
gade and at no time were his men given much freedom. 

It can be said for the Colonel that he had a fighting regiment 
and one that would have given a wonderful account of themselves 
if they had ever gotten a chance at the front line, but his men 
did not think of that part of their work, but grumbled and chafed 
under the severe strain he imposed upon them. They did not 
question their Colonel's ability or efficiency, but on the contrary 
rather deplored them, because he could not sympathize with those 
who were not as efficient as he. 

Colonel Logan was brusque, stern and difficult to approach: 
he was ready to talk to any man who had "anything to s;iy." but 
demanded that business, and business only, be discussed in his 



228 Trail of the 61st 

headquarters. He was the embodiment of military zeal and tol- 
erated nothing that ran counter to his militarism. He was in- 
tensely ambitious and tried to make his regiment the best in the 
army. 

Upon the return of the 133rd to Camp Bowie, to be mustered 
out of service, Colonel Logan was placed in command of the camp 
and remained as commander for a considerable time before leav- 
ing the service. 

LT. COLONEL H. E. STEVENSON. 

In 1881, when the Stevenson Brothers moved from California 
to the rx)ng-horn state. Colonel H. E. Stevenson, then a boy, came 
with them to Ysleta, El Paso County, Texas. When the county 
seat was transferred from Ysleta to El Paso, in 1887, the Colonel's 
father moved to the latter town in order to give his son an oppor- 
tunity to attend High School ; and within two years the boy had 
won his "sheep-skin" from the El Paso High School. 

During his attendance in High School young Stevenson was 
an active member of the Cadet Corps, serving as a lieutenant and 
later as a captain in that organization. His rapid rise in the 
corps was due partially to the previous military training he had 
received under a West Point graduate and a U. S. Army officer, 
though principally to his personality and ability. 

From the High School Cadet Corps Captain Stevenson went 
to Company "H," 4th Texas National Guard Infantry, which he 
commanded for a short time before entering the University of 
Chicago to study medicine, in 1895. 

In 1898 he joined the 7th Illinois Infantry, with which he 
served through the Spanish- American war. After returning from 
the war he resumed work in Chicago University and graduated 
from the medical department of that institution in 1899, when he 
returned to El Paso, where he was immediately commissioned a 
lieutenant and made a Battalion Adjutant in the Texas National 
Guard, stationed at El Paso. 

Later, he was made a captain in the Texas Guard and in 1914 
was commissioned Major of Infantry, commanding a battalion in 
May. 1916, when President Wilson issued a call for troops to serve 
on the border. With the increase in the Guard in 1917, Major 
Stevenson was advanced to Lt. Colonel and was made commander 
of the 111th Ammunition Train when it was formed at Camp 
Bowie. 

In the fall and early winter of 1917 an epidemic swept over 
Camp Bowie and the entire medical force of the camp was used to 
combat the ravages of disease. After several weeks of strenu- 



Appendix 229 

ous fighting tlie medical force proved unable to make any sub- 
stantial headway and Doctor Stevenson was drafted to take charge 
of the situation. He immediately put into effect strict rules of 
sanitation and quarantined the greater part of the camp; bis 
medical skill enabled him to entirely overcome the disease wave 
that gripped the camp. 

Colonel Stevenson commande<l the Ammunition Train from 
Camp Bowie to France and return home and was very iK)pular 
with his men; his unit was one of the best trained in the brigade. 
He was fair to his men, sympathetic with their troubles and 
was easily approachable at all times, making the private feel as 
much at home in his presence as the officer. 

When the train was mustered out of service, Colonel Steven- 
son returned to El Paso, where he again resumed the practice of 
medicine. For years he has been one of the most prominent phy- 
sicians in Texas and his sanitarium at El Paso is widely known 
throughout the Southwest. 



BRIGADE ADJUTANTS OF THE 61ST F. A. 
BRIGADE. 

LT. COLONEL SLOAN SIMPSON. 

It has been said that "a man who has smelled powder cannot 
keep out of a fight," and this was demonstrated in the case of 
Major Sloan Simpson, of the First Texas Field Artillery. 

Major Simpson was with Theodore Roosevelt in Cuba, having 
served as a cavalry officer under the famous "Rough Rider," and 
when the war opened he was one of the first men to volunteer 
his services to his former commander, when Teddy attempted to 
raise a force of volunteers to go to France and help whip the 
Kaiser. The Federal Government called Major Simpson into 
service before the Roosevelt matter was settled, however, and he 
was later taken into the 61st F. A. Brigade when it was organized 
at Camp Bowie. 

While at Camp Bowie he was promoted to the rank of Lt. 
Colonel and retained that grade until the close of the war. He 
served as a line officer until after the 01st reached Camp de 
Coetquidan, when he was selected by General Stephens for the 
position of Brigade Adjutant. He continued in this capacity 
until the brigade was mustered out of service, though he sep- 
arated from the brigade just a few days prior to its departure 



230 Trail of the 61st 

from Coetquidan, in order to visit London and other parts of 
England. 

Before tlie war Colonel Simpson was a snbstantial business 
man in Dallas, Texas, and was especially well qualified to con- 
duct the business affairs of the Gl.^t Brigade. He was brief and 
business-like in his transactions and gave the organization n busi- 
ness administration during his incumbency as Adjutant. 

After the death of General Stephens, he practically controlled 
the brigade, for he was familiar with the general policies and 
personnel of the organzation. while Colonel Farr was not. He 
was fair and just and was universally liked by the soldiers and 
officers of the brigade. 

When the 61st was mustered out of service. Colonel Simpson 
was called to the War Department at Washington to do some 
special service. 

MAJOR WILTON L. EUTAN. 

Major Rutan, one of the youngest majors in the army, was 
born January 11th, 1895, at Mankato, Minnesota. As a boy and 
youth he attended school during the winter months and did odd 
jobs during his vacations. He finished High School at Port Ar- 
thur, Texas, in 1912, and graduated from the Texas A. & M. College 
in 1915. 

While in college Major Rutan took an active interest in the 
military work of the Cadet Corps, in which he received three years 
of training as a cadet, and also enlisted in the Texas National 
Guard, where he served two years, one of which was on the Mexi- 
can border, where he held the rank of Captain in the 3rd Texas 
Infantry. Soon after the war was declared he was promoted to 
the rank of Major of Infantry, where he was found by Brigadier 
General George T. Blakeley, when the Gist F. A. was organized 
at Camp Bowie. 

Major Rutan was very popular In the 61st. especially with 
the members of Brigade Headquarters Detachment. He was 
known among this little group as "Squirrel," a nickname attached 
to him by his "Dog-robber," Williams. His quiet, forceful per- 
sonality impressed the men; and the fact that he was such a 
yoimg major caused all the soldiers of his brigade to feel pride 
over his being in their organization. 

When Brigadier General John E. Stephens assumed command 
of the 61st Brigade he chose Lieutenant Colonel Sloan Simpson 
as Brigade Adjutant and Major Rutan was returned to the 132nd 



Appendix 231 

Hesrimeiit iis commander of a battalion. He immediately im- 
pressed himself on his regiment and soon had the reputation of 
being one of the best line officers in the brigade. 

Major liUtan did not return home with his organization, but 
was held in France for special duty until the latter part of April, 
when he sailed for home. He was mustered out of service on the 
2ud day of May. 1919, at Camp Meade, Maryland, after which he 
returned to liis home in Port Arthur, Texas. 



ii 



m. 



LIBRARY 



CONGRESS 




